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SEMI-ANNUAL
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OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Held in the Tabernacle
Salt Lake City, Utah
S&pt&mbsuv 29, 30, cmxL
OdbJbsJc 1, 1961
With Report of Discourses
Published by
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Salt Lake City, Utah
The One Hundred Thirty-first Semi-annual
Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
The One Hundred Thirty-First Semi-
Annual Conference of the Church of
Iesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was
leld in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City,
Utah, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,
September 29, September 30, and Octo-
ber 1, 1961.
The general sessions of the Confer-
ence were held at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00
p.m., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and
the General Priesthood meeting was
held in the Tabernacle Saturday
evening, September 30, at 7:00 p.m.
The proceedings of the general ses-
sions were broadcast and telecast over
Station KSL and KSL-TV at Salt Lake
City, Utah and by arrangement through
KSL the following stations made avail-
able to their listening or viewing audi-
ences one or more of the six general
sessions:
In Utah: KSVC at Richfield, KSUB
at Cedar City, KVEL at Vernal, KDXU
at St. George, KVNU at Logan, KUTA
at Blanding.
In Arizona: KDJI at Holbrook, KPHO
and KPHO-TV at Phoenix, KCLS at
Flagstaff, KGUN-TV at Tucson.
In California: KSRO at Santa Rosa,
KEEN and KNTV at San Jose, KVON
at Napa, KFMB-TV at San Diego,
KOVR-TV at Sacramento-Stockton,
KERO-TV at Bakersfield, KTTV at Los
Angeles, KGO-TV at San Francisco,
KJEO-TV at Fresno, KVIP-TV at
Redding.
In Colorado: KREX at Grand Junc-
tion, KLZ and KBTV at Denver.
In Idaho: KID and KID-TV at Idaho
Falls, KRXK at Rexburg, KPST at
Preston, KBRV at Soda Springs, KBOI-
TV at Boise, KLIX-TV at Twin Falls.
In Minnesota: KRSI at Minneapolis.
In Montana: KXLF-TV at Butte,
KOOK-TV at Billings.
In Nevada: KSHO-TV at Las Vegas.
In New Mexico: KRSN at Los Alamos.
In Oregon: KKID at Pendleton, KOTI
at Klamath Falls.
In Washington: KOMO-TV at Seattle,
KNDO-TV at Yakima.
All general sessions of the Conference
were broadcast in the Assembly Hall on
Temple Square, in Barratt Hall (60
North Main Street), over a loud-
speaking system and by television. In
addition, thousands listened to the
services on the Tabernacle Grounds by
means of amplifying equipment.
The proceedings of the General Priest-
hood meeting were broadcast in the
Assembly Hall and Barratt Hall over
public address systems, and by direct
wire over a public address system to
members of the Priesthood in other as-
semblies throughout the United States
and in Canada.
President David O. McKay presided,
and conducted the services at each of
the sessions of the Conference, includ-
ing the General Priesthood meeting.
A full report of the Tabernacle Choir
and Organ Broadcast is also included
in this record. (See pages 126 to 127.)
Elder Joseph Anderson was Clerk of
the Conference.
General Authorities of the Church
Present
The First Presidency: David O. Mc-
Kay, \ Henry D. Moyle, Hugh B.
Brown 2 .
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee,
Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson,
Mark E. Petersen, Delbert L. Stapley,
Marion G. Romney, LeGrand Richards,
Richard L. Evans, George Q. Morris,
Howard W. Hunter, Gordon B.
Hinckley 3 .
Patriarch to the Church: Eldred G.
Smith.
Assistants to the Twelve Apostles:
Alma Sonne, EIRay L. Christiansen,
John Longden, Sterling W. Sill, Henry
D. Taylor, William J. Critchlow, Jr.,
Alvin R. Dyer, Nathan Eldon Tanner,
Franklin Dewey Richards, Theodore
Moyle Burton, Thorpe B. Isaacson 4 ,
Boyd K. Packer 5 .
The First Council of the Seventy:
Levi Edgar Young, Antoine R. Ivins,
2
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Seymour Dilworth Young, Milton R.
Hunter, 6 , Marion Duff Hanks, 7 .
Presiding Bishopric: John H. Vanden-
berg, Robert L. Simpson, Victor L.
Brown. 8
General Officers and Other
Authorities Present
Church Historian and Recorder: Jo-
seph Fielding Smith, and assistants,
A. William Lund and Preston Nibley.
Members of the General Welfare
Committee, Church Welfare Program.
Members of the Church Board of
Education and Chancellor Church
Board of Education, Directors and Asso-
ciate Directors of Institutes, and Semin-
ary Instructors.
Presidents of Stakes and their Coun-
selors, Presidents of Temples, Patriarchs,
High Priests, Seventies, Elders.
Auxiliary Officers, General, Stake and
Ward, from all parts of the Church.
President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. was absent upon
advice of his physician.
2 Elder Hugh B. Brown of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles was sustained as a Counselor in the First
Presidency.
3 Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, an Assistant to the
Twelve Apostles, was sustained as an Apostle and
a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, filling the
vacancy caused by the appointment of Elder Hugh
B. Brown as a Counselor in the First Presidency.
4 Elder Thorpe B. Isaacson was sustained as an As-
sistant to the Twelve Apostles.
6 EIder Boyd K. Packer was sustained as an Assistant
to the Twelve Apostles.
6 Elder Bruce R. McConkie was absent, presiding
over the Southern Australian Mission.
7 Elder A. Theodore Tuttle was absent, supervising
missions in South America.
8 Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin and his Counselors,
Thorpe B. Isaacson and Carl W. Buehner, were
relased and John H. Vandenberg was sustained as
Presiding Bishop, with Robert L. Simpson and
Victor L. Brown as First and Second Counselors
respectively.
FIRST DAY
MORNING MEETING
The first session of the One Hundred
Thirty-First Semi-Annual Conference of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints convened in the great Taber-
nacle in Salt Lake City Friday morning,
September 29, at 10:00 a.m. President
David O. McKay presided and con-
ducted the meeting.
The music for this session was fur-
nished by the Relief Society Singing
Mothers Chorus from the Central Utah
and Mt. Timpanogos regions. Sister
Florence Jepperson Madsen conducted
the singing; Elder Alexander Schreiner
was at the organ console.
In opening the Conference President
McKay made the following introductory
remarks:
President David O. McKay:
This is the opening session of the
One Hundred Thirty-First Semi-Annual
Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. We are convened
in the historic Salt Lake Tabernacle.
Yesterday and Wednesday this house
was filled with the sisters of the Relief
Society. We wish to congratulate and
commend the Relief Society Presidency
and members of the General Board for
the outstanding service they are render-
ing the women of the Church and the
world, and for the excellent program
they have given to them during this
Conference.
We just telephoned the doctor and he
reports President Clark is better than
he was yesterday but unable to attend
this session of the Conference.
Other General Authorities of the
Church who are absent are Elder Bruce
R. McConkie of the First Council of
Seventy, who is presiding over the South
Australian Mission; and Elder A. Theo-
dore Turtle of the First Council of
Seventy, in South America supervising
the missions in that country with newly
established headquarters at Montevideo.
The other Authorities are present.
Brother Joseph Anderson is Clerk of
the Conference.
For the convenience of those who are
unable to enter this historic Tabernacle
we annonce that these services and all
general sessions of the Conference will
be broadcast in the Assembly Hall and
Barratt Hall by television. Extensive
coverage of the General Sessions of this
Conference by radio and television, and
the closed circuit broadcast of the Priest-
hood Meeting Saturday evening, will
make this Semi-Annual General Con-
ference one of the most widely dissem-
inated in Church history. The number
of radio stations carrying the Conference
proceedings to the Intermountain Area
and the Pacific Coast will total 22.
A total of 21 television stations will
broadcast all or part of the Conference.
These are in Utah, Idaho, Montana,
California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada,
Washington, and Oregon. The names
of these stations have already been an-
nounced to the television and radio
audiences. We thank the owners and
managers of these stations for their
willing and able cooperation in regard
to this Conference. I am sure the public
unite with us in recognizing the great
favor they are bestowing upon us. It
is possible, according to a survey that
has been made, that well over a million
people will hear and see the proceedings
of this Conference by radio and tele-
vision.
Leaders and members of the Church
have assembled in this great Taber-
nacle from far and near, from the
islands of the sea, from the newly
organized stakes in Europe, Australia,
and New Zealand, and from all parts
of the North American Continent. To
all, to the overflow gatherings in the
Assembly Hall and in Barratt Hall, and
to the vast radio and television audience,
in behalf of the First Presidency, the
Council of the Twelve, and other Gen-
eral Authorities, I bid you a cordial
and hearty welcome.
Any important messages that come to
us for persons attending the sessions of
this Conference will be announced at
the conclusion of the meetings over
the public address system on Temple
Square.
We are favored this morning in hav-
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Friday, September 29
ing with us the Relief Society Singing
Mothers from Central Utah and Mt.
Timpanogos Welfare Regions. They
will furnish the music for the sessions
of the Conference today. We are grate-
ful and happy to have these mothers
present this morning. Just their pres-
ence is a benediction to us and a bless-
ing. They were with the Relief Society
at their Conference Wednesday and
Thursday.
The beautiful flowers, the antheriums,
the brightly colored Hawaiian flowers
which you see arranged on the rostrum
and pulpit, were sent by airplane from
members of the Oahu Stake. These
flowers express their love and affection
to all of us. We thank them and ex-
press appreciation for their thought-
fulness.
We have cablegrams from presidents
and others. I think you would like to
hear from them.
First I should like to recognize some
of our visitors, not officials in the
Church, but they show their interest
and willingness to cooperate with us
whenever possible. We have present
this morning Senator Wallace F. Ben-
nett, United States Senator; David S.
King is engaged with an official from
Washington and is absent from this
session but will be with us later; Dr.
Ernest L. Wilkinson, president of the
Brigham Young University; Dr. A. Ray
Olpin, president of the University of
Utah; President G. Homer Durham of
Arizona State University; President
John L. Clarke of Ricks College — they
have over 1 100 registered there this year;
Dr. William P. Miller, president of
Weber College; Dr. Wilburn N. Ball,
Superintendent of Public Instruction —
we welcome him; Superintendent M.
Lynn Bennion of the Salt Lake City
Schools; Dr. A. Sherman Christenson,
Associate Judge of the Federal Court;
Lamont Toronto, Secretary of State.
There are others, I am sure, that we
have not mentioned — President Daryl
Chase of the Utah State University, and
members of the State School Board.
Here are some telegrams you will be
interested in. One from President J.
Vernon Sharp at Lima, Peru: "Best
wishes for a successful conference.
President Delbert Palmer and family
are here and President Tuttle arrives on
First Day
the thirteenth for division of the Andes
Mission."
From President Grant S. Thorn of
the North British Mission, Manchester,
England: "The missionaries and Saints
of the North British Mission send their
love and best wishes. We are greatly
blessed as the work moves forward and
we do appreciate your inspired direction."
From Elder Tuttle, himself, South
American Mission: "The missionaries
and Saints of South America send their
greetings to all at this Conference time.
The Lord is blessing us in our labours
and prospering his work. Our prayers
and faith are with you and the other
General Authorities. We know you will
experience a great Conference."
From Senator Frank E. Moss, from
Berlin, Germany: "Greetings and felici-
tations from beleaguered Berlin at
Conference time. President and Sister
Fetzer and all of our missionaries are
well and in good spirits; work in Berlin
growing; thrilling to be here. Phyllis
and I regret absence from Conference.
You have our love and prayers."
I mentioned Congressman David S.
King. He is with the nation's space
chief, James E. Webb, touring Utah
Missile plants Friday.
A cablegram from President and
Sister A. Gideon Omer of the Swedish
Mission: "We send greetings from the
missionaries and the Saints of the
Swedish Mission. All well."
We are happy to welcome our stake
presidencies, bishoprics, high council-
men, and temple presidents from all
over the world. All are here with their
wives, and also General Auxiliary
officers.
We shall begin this session by the
Relief Society Singing Mothers from
the Central Utah and Mt. Timpanogos
Welfare Regions singing: "Lord, God of
Our Fathers." Sister Florence Jepperson
Madsen is conducting, and Elder Alex-
ander Schreiner is at the organ.
The invocation will be offered by
Elder Wilford W. Kirton, Jr., president
of the University Stake.
The Singing Mothers Chorus sang as
an opening number, "Lord, God Of Our
Fathers."
President Wilford W. Kirton, Jr.,
of the University Stake offered the
invocation.
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
President David O. McKay:
The invocation was offered by Wil-
ford W. Kirton, Jr., president of the
University Stake. The Relief Society
Singing Mothers will now sing: "If Ye
Love Me, Keep My Commandments,"
Sister Florence J. Madsen, composer,
and it will now be conducted by Sister
Madsen.
Singing by the Relief Society Singing
Mothers, "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Com-
mandments."
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
Clouds hung over the eastern horizon
this morning. When I met my asso-
ciates, I noticed that some of them were
carrying their topcoats, but I am pleased
to see the sun shining at the opening
of this great conference. There are
many in the world who see hanging
over the international horizon threaten-
ing clouds also. There are storms
ahead I
I am prompted by the outlook to take
as a text for the few words that I shall
say this morning, an encouraging
thought from the Thirty-first Psalm:
"Be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen your heart, all ye that hope
in the Lord." (Psalm 31:24.)
Sixty or seventy years ago, when
United States history was an essential
course in elementary public school
teaching, many a boy was thrilled by
Patrick Henry's dramatic declaration:
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to
be purchased at the price of chains and
slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I
know not what course others may take;
but as for me, give me liberty or give
me death!" Patrick Henry was then
a delegate to the Second Revolutionary
Convention held at Richmond, Virginia.
March 23, 1775.
The Creator, who gave man life,
planted in his heart the seed of liberty.
Free agency, as life, is a gift from God.
"Do you wish to be free? Then above
all things, love God, love your neigh-
bor, love one another, love the common
weal; then you will have true liberty."
(Savonarola.)
Last Saturday, September 23, 1961,
fearing they might be deprived of this
inalienable right, two women — "one
fifty-seven and the other sixty-three,
leaped from an East Berlin apartment
building, fronting on a West Berlin
street. West Berlin firemen caught
them in a safety net while communist
police [Vopos] looked on without
shooting.
"West Berlin police reported that an-
other family in a border house was
preparing to leap into the firemen's nets
when the lights in their apartment
suddenly went out."
The local press tells us that "when
the lights flashed on again, West Ber-
liners saw the apartment was full of
Vopos [policemen]. There was no sign
of the would-be escapees." (Deseret
News-Salt Lake Telegram, September
23, 1961.)
A West Berlin official said the largest
number of refugees ever reported in
a single day was 3,793 persons who fled
to Berlin on May 28, 1953. It is re-
ported that new arrivals in 1961 (this
year) have increased the number of
refugees who have fled East Germany
during the month of August to nearly
20,000. More than 150,000 seeking free-
dom from the domination of com-
munism have crossed the border so far
this year— 150,000! (See Ibid., August
12, 1961.)
In contrast to the barbaric state-rule
of the communist, from which these
people are fleeing by the hundreds of
thousands, I call your attention this
morning to the freedom-loving spirit of
America. On Bedloe's Island in New
York harbor stands the Statue of
Liberty — a gift of the French people to
the American people. Israel Zangwill,
in The Melting Pot, gives the words
spoken by David, the Russian emigrant
Jew, as follows:
"All my life America was waiting,
beckoning, shining — the place where
God would wipe away tears from off all
faces. To think that the same great
torch of Liberty which threw its light
across all the seas and lands into my
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Friday, September 29
little garret in Russia is shining also
for all those other weeping millions of
Europe, shining wherever men hunger
and are oppressed, shining over the
starving villages of Italy, Ireland, over
the swarming, starving cities of Poland,
and Galicia, over the ruined farms of
Romania, over the shambles of Russia.
When I look at our Statue of Liberty, I
just seem to hear the voice of America
crying: 'Come unto me, all ye who are
weary and heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.' "
In the September 1961, issue of High-
ways to Happiness, a little pamphlet
many of you receive, I was pleased with
the timely comment that, and I quote:
"America is a land of but one people,
gathered from many nations. Some
came for love of money, and some
came for love of freedom. Whatever the
lure that brought them here, each gave
his gift. Irish lad and Scotch, English-
man and Dutch, Italian, Greek, and
French, Spaniard, Slav, Teuton, Norse —
all have come bearing gifts, and have
laid them on the altar of America.
"All brought music, and their instru-
ments for the making of music.
"All brought their poetry, winged
tales of man's many passions; ballads of
heroes and tunes of the sea; lilting
scraps caught from sky and field, or
mighty dramas that tell of primal strug-
gles of the profoundest meaning.
"Then, each brought some homely
things, some touch of the familiar
home field or forest, kitchen or dress — a
favorite tree or fruit, an accustomed
flower a style in cookery, or in costumes
— each brought some homelike familiar
thing.
"Hatred of old-time neighbors, na-
tional prejudices and ambitions, tra-
ditional fears, set standards of living,
graceless intolerance, class rights, and
the demand of class — these were barred
at the gates.
"At the altar of America, we have
sworn ourselves to a simple loyalty. We
have bound ourselves to sacrifice and
struggle, to plan and to work for this
one land. We have given that we
may gain; we have surrendered that we
may have victory!"
There is a significant reference in the
Apocalypse to "a war in heaven." (See
First Day
Rev. 12:7.) It is not only significant
but also seemingly contradictory, for
we think of heaven as a celestial abode
of bliss, an impossible condition where
war and contention could exist. The
passage is significant inasmuch as it sets
forth the fact there is freedom of choice
and of action in the spirit world. This
contention in heaven arose over the
desire of Satan ". . . to destroy the
agency of man, which I the Lord, had
given him, . . ." (Moses 4:3.)
Freedom of thought, freedom of
speech, freedom of action within bound-
aries that do not infringe upon the
liberty of others are man's inherent
right, granted him by his Creator —
divine gifts "essential to human dignity
and human happiness."
"Therefore, cheer up your hearts,"
admonished an ancient prophet in the
Book of Mormon, "and remember that
ye are free to act for yourselves — . . ."
(2 Nephi 10:23.)
"This love of liberty which God has
planted in us," said Abraham Lincoln,
"constitutes the bulwark of our liberty
and independence. It is not our frown-
ing battlements, our bristling seacoasts,
our army, and our navy. Our defense
is in the spirit which prizes liberty as
the heritage of all men, in all lands,
everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and we
have planted the seeds of despotism at
our very doors."
Brethren, the opposite of freedom is
bondage, servility, restraint — conditions
that inhibit mentality, stifle the spirit,
and crush manhood. To coerce, to
compel, to bring into servitude is Satan's
plan for the human family.
Throughout the history of the world
man has contended even to death to
free himself from bondage and usurpa-
tion, or to retain the freedom he already
possessed. This is particularly true in
regard to the right to worship. At-
tempts to control the consciences of men
have always resulted in conflict. To
decide one's own relationship to the
Creator and to his creations is the
natural and inalienable right of all.
Equally fundamental and important
to man's happiness and progress is the
right of personal security, the right of
personal liberty, and the right of pri-
vate property. The right of personal
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
security consists in the enjoyment of
life, limbs, body, health, and reputa-
tion. Life, being the immediate gift of
God, is a right inherent by nature in
every individual. Likewise, man has
a natural inherent right to his limbs.
His personal liberty consists in the right
of changing one's situation or habitation
according to will. The right of property
consists in the free use, enjoyment, and
disposal of all acquisitions, without con-
trol or diminution save by the laws of
the land. The right of private property
is sacred and inviolable. If any part of
these inalienable individual possessions
should be required by the State, they
should be given only with the consent
of the people.
When King John of England, whom
Dickens calls "a coward and detestable
villain," deprived his subjects of their
liberties and ruthlessly burned and de-
stroyed their property, the people rose
up against him, brought him to Runny-
mede, and compelled him on Monday,
June 15, 1215, to affix his signature to
the Great Charter of England by which,
among other things, he pledged him-
self "to maintain the Church in its
rights, to imprison no man without
a fair trial, and to sell, delay, or deny
justice to none."
Five hundred and fifty years later, the
American colonies imbued with the
spirit that produced the Magna Charta,
declared:
"As the happiness of the people is
the sole end of government, so the con-
sent of the people is the only foundation
of it, in reason, morality, and the
natural fitness of things. And therefore
every act of government, every exercise
of sovereignty against or without the
consent of the people is injustice, usurpa-
tion, and tyranny. It is a maxim that in
every government there must exist some-
where a supreme, sovereign, absolute
and uncontrollable power; and it never
was, or can be delegated to one man or
few; the great Creator having never
given to men a right to vest others with
authority over them unlimited either in
duration or degree.
"When kings, ministers, governors, or
legislators, therefore, instead of exercis-
ing the powers intrusted with them
according to the principles, forms, and
proportions stated by the Constitution,
and established by the original com-
pact, prostitute those powers to the
purposes of oppression; to subvert, in-
stead of preserving the lives, liberties,
and properties of the people, they are
no longer to be deemed magistrates
vested with a sacred character, but be-
come public enemies and ought to be
resisted." (Adams, Works, I, p. 193.)
My brethren and sisters, the ultimate
purpose of Christianity in the world is
to develop an honorable, upright indi-
vidual in an ideal society known as the
kingdom of God.
Nearly two thousand years have
passed, and the world is still a long
way from the realization of either
achievement. Indeed, today Christianity
itself, and its handmaiden, Democracy,
are on trial before the world tribunal.
Conditions in this war-torn world seem
to bear witness that men are forever
learning, but never coming to a knowl-
edge of the truth.
Though true Christianity as expressed
in the divine law, ". . . love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind . . .
and thy neighbour as thyself," (Matt.
22:37, 39) has never yet been accepted
and practised by the nations of the
world, yet the Spirit of the Christ has,
like leaven in the lump, been influenc-
ing society toward the realization of
freedom, justice, and better harmony in
human relations.
In the world today, however, the spirit
of paganism has again asserted itself
and seems to be all but triumphant in
its effort to overthrow the few Christian
ideals that civilized peoples have
absorbed.
"If Western civilization emerges from
existing situations safely, it will be
only through a deeper appreciation — and
note this — through a deeper apprecia-
tion of the social ethics of Jesus than it
has yet shown. And our danger is in-
creased rather than diminished by the
fancied security in which our masses
live."
Merely an appreciation of the social
ethics of Jesus, however, is not sufficient.
Men's hearts must be changed. Instead
of selfishness, men must be willing to
dedicate their ability, their possessions—
GENERAL CONFERENCE
8
Friday, September 29
if necessary, their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor for the allevia-
tion of the ills of mankind. Hate must
be supplanted by sympathy and for-
bearance.
Force and compulsion will never
establish the ideal society. This can
come only by a transformation within
the individual soul — a life brought into
harmony with the divine will. We must
be "born again."
Though nearly 2,000 years have passed
since Jesus taught the gospel of brother-
hood, it seems as difficult for men today
as in Christ's day to believe that peace
and truth can come only by conforming
our lives to the law of love. Men still
find the greatest difficulty in accepting
this central core of Christ's teachings.
Manifestly, there has not been much
cessation of man's inhumanity to man
through the centuries. Notwithstand-
ing this, I believe that right and truth
will eventually triumph.
Today, as we see hovering over the
nations of the earth the ever-darkening
clouds of nuclear war, we are prone to
think that righteousness among men is
waning. In our own beloved country,
"a land choice above all other lands,"
we are grieved and shocked when the
Supreme Court renders a decision ruling
that it is unconstitutional for the Federal
Government of any State to require a
"belief in the existence of God" as a
qualification for public office; also, we
experience apprehension when we know
that enemies to our republican form of
government are becoming more blatant;
when we see political demagogues seem-
ingly more successful, drunkenness and
immorality flauntingly defiant — seeing
these conditions we wonder whether
mankind is growing better or worse. In
private life, disappointments, adversity,
sickness, and sorrow make us discour-
aged and sometimes despondent.
Still I am confident that truth will
yet prevail, and in that confidence, say
again with the Psalmist: "Be of good
courage, and he shall strengthen your
heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."
(Psalm 31:24.)
We may take courage in what I be-
lieve is a fact, that in the hearts of more
millions of honest men and women than
ever before war is abhorrent. War has
First Day
lost its false glamour and boasted glory.
Such an attitude at least keeps alive our
hope for the dawning of that day when
men ". . . shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into prun-
ing hooks: nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4.)
How utterly foolish men are to quar-
rel, fight, and cause misery, destruction,
and death when the gifts of a Divine
and Loving Father are all around us
for the asking — are already in our pos-
session if we would but recognize them.
Christ's invitation is still extended to
all peoples:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn
of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls.
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden
is light." (Matt. 11:28-30.)
I am as sure as that I am speaking to
you that the peace and happiness of
mankind lie in the acceptance of Jesus
Christ as the Redeemer of the world,
our Savior. As Peter declared over
1900 years ago, so I testify to the world
today, that there is "none other name
under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12.)
The principles of the restored gospel
as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith,
are the surest, safest guide to mortal
man. Christ is the light to humanity,
In that light man sees his way clearly.
When it is rejected, the soul of man
stumbles in darkness. No person, no
group, no nation can achieve true suc-
cess without following him who said:
"I am the light of the world: he that
followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life." (John
8:12.)
It is a sad thing when individuals and
nations extinguish that light — when
Christ and his gospel are supplanted by
the law of the iungle and the strength
of the sword. The chief tragedy in the
world at the present time is its disbelief
in God's goodness, and its lack of faith
in the teachings and doctrines of the
gospel.
To all who believe in a Living, Per-
ELDER ELRAY L. CHRISTIANSEN
9
sonal God and his divine truth, life
can be so delightful and beautiful.
As a matter of fact, it is glorious just
to be alive. Joy, even ecstasy, can be
experienced in the consciousness of
existence. There is supreme satisfaction
in sensing one's individual entity and
in realizing that that entity is part of
God's great creative plan. There are
none so poor, none so rich, sick, or
maimed who may not be conscious of
this relationship.
I know that for not a few of us the
true joy of living is overcast by trials,
failures, worries, and perplexities inci-
dent to making a living and attempting
to achieve success. Tear-bedimmed eyes
are often blind to the beauties that sur-
round us. Life sometimes seems a
parched and barren desert, when, as a
matter of fact, there is comfort, even
happiness within our grasp if we could
or would but reach for it.
The Lord has given us life, and with
it free agency; and eternal life is his
greatest gift to man.
To the Church in all the world the
message of the First Presidency, the
Council of the Twelve, and the other
General Authorities is: Be true and loyal
to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
"Be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen your heart, all ye that hope
in the Lord." (Psalm 31:24.)
God help us so to be true, I pray in
the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder EIRay L. Christiansen, Assistant
to the Twelve, will now speak to us.
He will be followed by Elder Marion
D. Hanks.
ELDER ELRAY L. CHRISTIANSEN
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
With you, my brothers and sisters, I
have been deeply moved by the message
of President McKay this morning — so
timely, so fitting, so true! He is, indeed,
the prophet of God in this day. To this
I testify! I know also that God lives,
that Jesus is the Christ, and that through
the restoration of the gospel he has
given a divine plan for living which
will help all of us who adhere to it
to avoid the pitfalls and the sorrows
that will surely come if we depart
therefrom. If ever there were a day in
the world when the gospel of Jesus
Christ is needed, it is today! It is
needed to give us fortitude and direction.
The gospel is more than something
just to talk about, however. It is a
design for living, for successful living,
for happy living. It calls for deeds,
action, and proper conduct on the part
of each and all of us. Its principles are
not limited to the payment of tithing,
the Word of Wisdom, keeping holy the
Sabbath day — they are part of the gos-
pel, of course, and are very important,
but the gospel embraces all truth and
the application of all virtues. "We be-
lieve in being honest, true, chaste,
benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good
to all men. ... If there is anything
virtuous, lovely, or of good report or
praiseworthy, we seek after these
things." (Thirteenth Article of Faith.)
The principles enunciated in that
Article of Faith are designed to help us
to become more refined, more reliable,
more peaceable, more Christlike.
One of the virtues mentioned is
benevolence, which is the disposition
to do good, to be kind, to be charitable
to others. Among the beautiful princi-
ples taught the multitude by Jesus upon
the mountain was this: "Therefore
all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so
to them: . . ." (Matt. 7:12.) This is often
referred to as the Golden Rule. It is
another version of the second great
commandment, "Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself." (Mark 12:31.)
Laws, rules, regulations are designed
to give society a more safe and a more
orderly way of living. But it is under-
standable that even though we have
innumerable laws, both civil and eccle-
siastical, to direct us, laws cannot be
made to cover each specific act or each
transaction that we make. For this
reason we must develop a conscience
10
Friday, September 29
attuned to the will of the Lord. We
must develop a feeling of obligation to
do what is right. We must countenance
no subterfuge, no evasiveness. When
correct laws are not written to guide us,
we must conduct ourselves by correct
principles, by high standards of personal
ethics.
To illustrate: An opportunist, know-
ing that he was protected by the letter
of the law, was led to exploit and take
advantage of a widow who was not
versed in the law and by clever maneu-
vering caused her to lose her property
and her savings while technically he
was within the law. He was led to do
this unjust deed because he was not
sensitive to correct principles or the
desire to do good. Rather he was moti-
vated by a desire for personal gain even
at the expense of another.
In the Bible we read: "Thou shalt not
defraud thy neighbour, neither rob
him: . . ." (Lev. 19:13.)
In contrast to this selfish exploitation,
consider the report that was given in
the Relief Society conference held earlier
this week. With the desire to do
good — 224,000 hours were spent in com-
passionate service; 775,000 hours spent
by these sisters in welfare service, doing
good unto their neighbors.
True greatness and integrity are
found together in men. Great minds
are motivated by self-sacrifice, not by
self-seeking. Strong men have the moral
courage to choose the right above eco-
nomic advantage, even though it may
be within the letter of the law for them
to do otherwise.
". . . whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, do ye even so to
them." (Matt. 7:12.)
Now, to what degree is this principle
being applied in your life and in mine?
Do we take all that we can get for a
commodity or for a service, or do we
accept a reasonable and fair return?
When I was a youth, I was greatly
impressed by the honor and fairness of
a man in the community who offered
for sale his hay at a certain price a ton.
When others told him that because of
scarcity he could obtain a higher price
for the hay, he replied, "I know, I
know. But if I were buying the hay I
would not want to pay more than the
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First Day
price I have set, so why should I require
my neighbor to pay more?"
True religion is the activated love of
God and of neighbor. It is based on good
deeds, not good intentions, not merely
good words.
The Article of Faith that I have re-
ferred to states: "We believe in being
true," which means that we are true
to a trust, we can be relied upon, we
are upright in our dealings.
Some years ago I arranged with a fine
man to purchase a building lot in Logan.
It was a choice lot in a choice place, the
only lot left in the area. The price was
agreed upon, and I offered some earnest
money, so-called, to bind the agreement
until the deed was prepared, but the
owner said, "In my dealings, I never
require down payments. You can pay
me when the deed is ready." During
the time he was preparing the papers,
he received two or three other offers
at a price considerably higher. He could
have sold at a higher price, but he did
not. "That is what we agreed upon,"
he said. His word was as good as his
bond.
Dr. James E. Talmage has reminded
us in his writings, "Religion without
morality, professions of godliness with-
out charity, Church membership without
adequate responsibility as to honorable
individual conduct in daily life, are but
as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals,
noise without music, the words [of a
prayer] without the spirit of prayer."
One does not truly love the Lord
unless he lives according to the moral
principles that he has given us. "...
whatsoever ye would that men should
do to you, do ye even so to them."
(Idem.) That is a grand principle, so
simple, so just.
Now, if I wish to help make this a
better world, I should begin by im-
proving myself. As someone said, "Oh,
Lord, reform the world, beginning with
me." If this principle were practised in
our homes — love, respect, unselfishness
would abound. If this principle were
practised in our communities — robberies,
assaults, and even many traffic acci-
dents would be avoided. If this prin-
ciple were practised by mankind
generally, the dangers threatening us
would vanish; wickedness would ulti-
mately cease, waste of public funds
ELDER MARION D. HANKS
11
would be eliminated; strikes would be
unnecessary; peace would prevail.
Even though revolutionary changes
are taking place all over the world,
even in our own land, we must remem-
ber that God has not changed. Virtue,
honesty, trust, a desire to do good, a
desire to be helpful are still basic and
indispensable principles of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
In the first section of the Doctrine
and Covenants, we are told that ". . .
the Lord shall come to recompense
unto every man according to his work,
and measure to every man according
to the measure which he has measured
to his fellow man." (D&C 1:10.)
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye
would that men should do to you, do
ye even so to them." (Matt. 7:12.)
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder EIRay L. Christiansen, Asso-
ciate to the Twelve, has just addressed
us. Brother Marion D. Hanks of the
First Council of the Seventy will be our
next speaker.
ELDER MARION DUFF HANKS
Of the First Council of the Seventy
Brother Christiansen's quotation makes
me think of another attributed to an
ancient, who said, "Lord, make me
good, but not yet." That which we
would hope the Lord might do for us
we had best begin to do for ourselves,
with prayer and seeking his blessings,
now, while there is time.
It was a glorious experience this morn-
ing to look into your faces and shake
hands with many of you and nod at
others. I sat recalling the many places
where I have been blessed to see you
and thought that I have seldom been
willing to comfort myself that I have
contributed greatly to you, but that I
have always come away thanking the
Lord for what you have contributed to
me. In the years of my association with
you through the stakes and missions and
in the institutions of the Church, I have
yet to be imposed upon by one filthy
word or unworthy idea or evil story. I
have had association under other cir-
cumstances, and I thank God for the
fellowship of the members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and for the fellowship of people
of good will outside that Church who
share common objectives and who have
loyalty and devotion in their own way
to their own faiths and persuasions.
But it is to this group this morning
that I would hope to address a thought
or two which seem to me at this
moment to be of extreme significance.
Charles Malik, the former president of
the United Nations General Assembly,
a great diplomat and man, a time ago
made this statement: "We — all of us —
need a mighty spiritual revival. The
ideal of a settled, successful, selfish life
is wholly inadequate. One craves to
see great themes sought and discussed,
great causes espoused. One burns for
the reintroduction into life of the pur-
suit of greatness. Everywhere I go I
find people sitting on the edge of their
seats, waiting to be shown the way.
"There are infinite possibilities, both
material and moral, to vindicate free-
dom against unfreedom, joy of living
against tyranny, man against all that is
subhuman and inhuman, truth against
darkness and falsehood, and God against
the devil and his works. The time is
here not for pessimism and despair, but
for a vast advance on many fronts."
I believe that these words are true.
They reflect the experience I have
had. They have been stated in his own
way by President McKay this morning,
and I sat thinking of what the Lord has
said to bulwark and sustain and lay the
foundation for optimism and faith in
this time of apprehension and uncer-
tainty and discontent and fear.
There was a little band of struggling
people in Harmony, Pennsylvania, in
1829. There was not yet a Church;
there was not yet a published Book of
Mormon. There was a man with a
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12
Friday, September 29
story, and the Spirit of God moved
upon them and bore witness that he
was telling the truth, and so they rallied
to him and gave him their allegiance
and asked him what they must now do.
The answers he gave them were the
answers which made possible for them
the greatest gift of God to man — hap-
piness here, quiet conscience, truth, and
eternal opportunities for creative expres-
sion ultimately in the kingdom of God
with our Heavenly Father.
To this struggling little band, beset
and sore tried, and I am sure some of
them seriously concerned, came these
words:
"Fear not to do good, my sons, for
whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also
reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall
also reap good for your reward.
"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do
good; let earth and hell combine against
you, for if ye are built upon my rock,
they cannot prevail." (D&C 6:33-34.)
In 1831 there was a Church and a
published Book of Mormon, an organ-
ization with officers, but the little
Church was in its formative period.
There was imposition. There was
already serious mobbing. There was dis-
belief and great antagonism.
In that day to his people, through the
Prophet, the Lord said:
"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do
not fear, for I the Lord am with you,
and will stand by you; and ye shall
bear record of me, even Jesus Christ,
that I am the Son of the living God,
that I was, that I am, and that I am to
come." (Ibid., 68:6.)
Through all the books of recorded
revelations of God to man, one may
read again and again the marvelous
message of fearlessness, of faith, of cour-
age, of testimony, of a sound, strong
mind. The words of Paul to Timothy,
his son in the gospel, give strength and
courage and ought to lay foundations
for us to stand up where we are and
bear our own witness of faith and not
of fear. Said Paul to Timothy, as well
you know, "For God has not given us
the spirit of fear, but of power, and
of love, and of a sound mind." (2
Tim. 1:7.)
Out of the ancient record words well
known, again, to all of you, words of
First Day
faith and assurance: "Yea, though I
walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil: for thou
art with me; . . ." (Psalm 23:4.)
Through all the dealings of God with
man there have been trials and troubles
and afflictions and impositions and ap-
prehensions, and there have been the
repeated assurances of God to man that
he should be of courage and not fear.
There is one other citation in the
Doctrine and Covenants which I would
note, and one from the Book of Mor-
mon. The section known as thirty-
eight has in it some of the great
literature of the restoration, in my esti-
mation, and among the statements of
faith and assurance God gave is this
magnificent, simple and wonderful one:
". . . if ye are prepared ye shall not
fear." (D&C 38:30.)
Alma, teaching the people out of his
own experience, and some of it had been
less than admirable in his youth, an-
swered in a most marvelous way what
the preparation is that we must have if
we are to stand without fear. In the fifth
chapter of the book of Alma are these
wonderful words, and they are written
(spoken in their time) to those who
had once experienced a change of heart.
Alma's question to them is ". . . if you
have experienced a change of heart, and
if you have felt to sing the song of re-
deeming love, I would ask, can you feel
so now?" And then these questions:
"Have ye walked, keeping yourselves
blameless before God? Could ye say,
if ye were called to die at this time,
within yourselves, that ye have been
sufficiently humble?" (I skip a word or
two for the sake of emphasis and time.)
"Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I
say unto you, if ye are not ye are not
prepared to meet God. Behold ye must
prepare quickly; for the kingdom of
heaven is soon at hand, and such an one
hath not eternal life.
"Behold, I say, is there one among
you who is not stripped of envy? I say
unto you that such an one is not
prepared; . . .
". . . is there one among you that
doth make a mock of his brother, or
that heapeth upon him persecutions?
"Wo unto such an one, for he is not
prepared, . . .*' (Alma 5:26-31.)
ELDER MARION D. HANKS
13
The Lord has given us in his great
goodness and graciousness a foundation
of firmness upon which we may stand
if we will, without fear, but with faith,
based on preparation, a preparation
which he, through his prophets, has
clearly spelled out. If you have had a
testimony of the gospel, if you have felt
in your heart this great stirring, mov-
ing, satisfying love of God, do you have
it now? Are you obedient? Do you
keep the commandments of God?
He talked of humility and of faithful-
ness. He talked of weeding out of our
lives pride and envy, persecutions and
mockery. I offer these simple sugges-
tions — over-simplified and only in
headline — as to what we may do to have
faith and weed out fear. We may learn
the gospel. We may obey the injunction
of God to search diligently, to seek, to
knock, to ask, to invest ourselves in an
honest effort to know what we are talk-
ing about.
I heard someone say (and I cannot
personally vouch for the accuracy of
this, but I think probably it is so) that
those who read the Book of Mormon
out loud to put that book on the records
which are for sale completed the task in
something like thirty-five hours or less.
Yet there are Latter-day Saints who live
and die and never read the book.
In addition to learning, we must live
as the Lord has commanded us. There
are so many marvelous directions and
injunctions and suggestions and com-
mandments from God, but let me repeat
only a few words, very familiar to all
of you, because they seem to me to
constitute the heart of the spirit of faith
which we can have if we will. The Lord
said that if we exercise power and author-
ity and leadership in the Church it must
be done on the basis of ". . . persuasion,
by long-suffering, by gentleness and
meekness, and by love unfeigned;
"By kindness, and pure knowl-
edge, . . .
"Reproving betimes with sharpness,
when moved upon by the Holy Ghost;
and then showing forth afterwards an
increase of love toward him whom we
have reproved, lest he esteem us to be
his enemy." (D&C 121:41-43.)
The word charity is used, and the
word virtue. I thought at an early hour
this morning of some counsel Alma
gave his son, Shiblon. Some of the great
instructions of the Book of Mormon are
given by fathers to their own sons,
a magnificent example, and some of the
greatest testimonies borne. Hear these
words of Alma to Shiblon:
"Do not pray as the Zoramites do,
for ye have seen that they pray to be
heard of men, and to be praised for
their wisdom.
"Do not say: O God, I thank thee
that we are better than our brethren;
but rather say: O Lord, forgive my un-
worthiness, and remember my brethren
in mercy — yea, acknowledge your un-
worthiness before God at all times."
(Alma 38:13-14.)
If we are to have faith and turn away
fear, we must learn and live, and I
would add, share and serve the gospel
of Jesus Christ. You are all very familiar
with the impressive account in the story
of Lehi's vision of the great satisfaction
that came to Lehi as he tasted the fruit
of the tree — that tree which represented
the love of God. Let me read you what
followed his expression of satisfaction
as he tasted the love of God.
"And it came to pass that I did go
forth and partake of the fruit thereof;
and I beheld that it was most sweet,
above all that I ever before tasted. Yea,
and I beheld that the fruit thereof was
white, to exceed all the whiteness that
I had ever seen.
"And as I partook of the fruit thereof
it filled my soul with exceeding great
joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous
that my family should partake of it
also; . . ." (1 Nephi 8:11-12.)
I conceive this to be the simplest and
most understandable of human emo-
tions. That which is beautiful and good
and satisfying to the soul is infinitely
more so when shared with those we love.
I believe this is the foundation of the
missionary work of the Church, of the
Primary program and the genealogical
program and the serviceman's program,
and every other effort made by the
Church to lift and inspire and
strengthen the individual child of God.
If we will learn for ourselves through
investment, through effort, through
search, if we will live and share and
serve God— the gospel, his good word,
14
Friday, September 29
his glad tidings — then we have no need
to fear, not him who can kill the body,
not any man, or any foe. We have need
to do all that we can. We have
need to make the kind of preparation
God asks of us, and if we have so done,
then we can stand with a spirit of
power, of strength, of a sound mind,
and bear testimony of Jesus. We can be
of good cheer and fear not. We can
have that fearlessness characteristic of
God's children in all the ages who have
had such a change of heart — the change
of which our President has spoken
today. The prophets of old spoke of it,
and of it I testify, thanking God that so
far as I am able to know my own heart
and my own mind, I may say to you
that I am not afraid of Mr. Khrushchev
or what he can do. I am afraid of the
influence of the one whom the scriptures
occasionally call Beelzebub. I have a
respect for him and what he can do if
we permit him. I do not want my feet
on the side of the line where he is in
charge.
I pray that God will bless me and
you and through us all whom we may
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First Day
touch, that we may radiate, exude a
spirit of faith and not of fear, that we
will make preparation and then stand
humbly before God, of good cheer and
without fear. In the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
He to whom we have just listened is
Elder Marion D. Hanks of the First
Council of Seventy.
Sister Florence Jepperson Madsen will
now lead the chorus and congregation in
singing, "High On The Mountain Top."
After the singing Bishop Joseph L.
Wirthlin of the Presiding Bishopric
will address us.
The congregation joined with the
Singing Mothers Chorus in singing the
hymn, "High On The Mountain Top."
President David O. McKay:
Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin of the
Presiding Bishopric will now speak
to us.
BISHOP JOSEPH L. WIRTHLIN
President McKay, my beloved brethren
and sisters, I am more than grateful
for the privilege of expressing to you
my heartfelt appreciation. As I meet
the members of the Church in the
various stakes, I am meeting with my
brethren and sisters, for we are brethren
and sisters. I think of our Older Brother
Jesus Christ the Son of God. It is a
wonderful thing to know that we are
all brethren and sisters and, above all,
that we are the sons and daughters
of our Heavenly Father, and also that
Jesus Christ is our Older Brother.
I want to bear testimony to you that
I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet.
There is no question about that in my
mind. I am so grateful that in my own
soul I can bear that testimony without
any hesitation whatsoever.
It was necessary for the world to have
a prophet that the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ in its fulness might be
available to the sons and daughters of
our Heavenly Father. Joseph Smith was
a Prophet, and those who have followed
him are also prophets, every one of
them. President McKay is a prophet,
a seer, and a revelator, brethren and
sisters. That is my testimony to you
this morning.
I think of the marvelous revelation
given by the Lord to the Prophet Joseph
in the eighty-eighth section of the
Doctrine and Covenants. I suggest that
you read it in your homes with your
sons and daughters. It is called the Olive
Leaf, and it states that the light of
truth is the light of Christ. If the whole
world could accept Jesus Christ as the
Son of God, there is no question but
that many of the problems which now
exist could be solved, and out of it we
would have peace and good will. In
the final analysis, the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints has the
responsibility of teaching to the world
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
BISHOP JOSEP
At some future time, the missionaries
and representatives of the Church of
Jesus Christ are going to have the
opportunity to preach the gospel to the
Russian people. Just how it shall happen
or what will bring it about, I cannot
tell you. But in the main, the Russian
people are a good people. When the
Lord makes it possible for missionaries
to go into that area and preach the
gospel, literally millions of them will
accept it, and that same feeling of the
light of truth, the light of Christ, will
come to them.
It does not only mean to the people
in Russia, but it also means to the
people in China where there are literally
millions and millions of the Lord's sons
and daughters who do not know that
Jesus Christ existed. But in the way of
the Lord, the missionaries somehow are
going to preach the gospel to the people
in China.
What I say about China is equally
true with reference to India. I recall
an experience which I had this past
summer with an individual from India
who had spent some time at Brig-
ham Young University. He came to our
offices, and I had the privilege of meet-
ing him. He indicated to me that he
had read the Book of Mormon. I asked
him the question, "Do you believe the
Book of Mormon is true, that it is the
real history of America?" He said, "Yes,
I accept it." I said, "Then, if you
accept the Book of Mormon, you, no
doubt, have given some consideration
to Christ and Joseph Smith." He said,
"I have done that. Joseph Smith is a
prophet." I made clear to him that we
had another prophet with the same
authority, with the same rights to divine
guidance as existed in the days of Joseph
Smith, namely, President McKay. He
said, "I hope the time will come when
you will send your missionaries into
India. I am satisfied that our people
are now waiting for something different,
something else, something they do not
have." President McKay, I am sure that
some day the missionaries will go into
India and preach the gospel to the
millions and millions of individuals
who do not know very much about
Christ and never will know until we
r L. WIRTHLIN 15
have the opportunity to teach them the
gospel.
The Lord said in the eighty-eighth
section of the Doctrine and Covenants
to search for the truth through study
and prayer. I am sure that every con-
vert of the Church accepts the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ through study and
prayer. Prayer is most important to con-
verts.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the
Lord said to us:
"Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean;
cease to find fault one with another;
cease to sleep longer than is needful;
retire to thy bed early, that ye may not
be weary; arise early, that your bodies
and your minds may be invigorated.
"And above all things, clothe your-
selves with the bond of charity, as with
a mantle, which is the bond of perfect-
ness and peace." (D&C 88:124-125.)
I have thought of this wonderful state-
ment many times in that marvelous
revelation: "Cease to be idle." The
membership of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, brethren and
sisters, do not have time to be idle. It
is wonderful that in this great organiza-
tion every man and every woman and
every child, regardless of age, has some-
thing to do. That is the great fundamen-
tal difference between the Church of
Jesus Christ and the churches of the
world. "Cease to be idle."
We must set the proper example to
the people of America. We cannot afford
to have idle people. Every American
ought to have something to do. This
will protect him against the power of
the evil one, Satan.
I think of certain organizations which
give individuals the right to work only
for a short time. Some of them advocate
only four or five days a week. That is
contrary to the mind and will of our
Heavenly Father. The Lord set us a
proper example when he said, "Six days
shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
. . ." (Ex. 20:9.) And what is the seventh
day to be? The seventh day is the day
when we worship the Lord, when we
meet our assignments in connection with
the Church and, above all, have the
opportunity of attending Sacrament
meeting, the most important meeting of
the whole week. It is my prayer that the
16
Friday, September 29
attendance at our Sacrament meeting
will be one hundred percent. I hope that
in America we will not have the ex-
perience that I had in Germany in
1914 while preaching the gospel to
the German people. I passed a great
cathedral each weekend. One morning
I went inside. It was beautiful, and I
also noticed that there were four people
in the attitude of prayer. The next week
something happened to Germany. What
was it? Germany was at war with
France, England, and Russia. Again I
went back and found the cathedral was
filled to capacity with as many people
outside as there were inside. They had
all gone there for one purpose only: to
pray to the Lord that their husbands and
their sons and those who were on the
front fighting for Germany might be
protected.
I hope that in America we are not
going to be forced to pray because of
difficulties and possibilities of war, but
we are going to be a prayerful people
and recognize that God lives and that
Jesus Christ is his Son.
In this marvelous revelation I have
just read to you, the Lord not only said,
"Cease to be idle," but he also said,
"cease to be unclean; ..." I hope and
pray with all my heart that America
will be a clean nation.
The Lord also said, ". . . cease to find
fault one with another, . . ." In every
Latter-day Saint home care should be
taken when a father criticizes a son or a
son is critical of a father or when
a mother is critical of her daughter or a
daughter is critical of her mother; it
brings into the home the power of the
evil one, and the Spirit of the Lord will
not dwell there. Faultfinding should
be eliminated in the family relationship.
Again it states, ". . . cease to sleep
longer than is needful; retire to thy
bed early, that ye may not be weary,
. . ." Much could be said about this.
Youth must have its recreation, we will
all admit, but the right kind of recrea-
tion is going to be that which is under
the direction of the priesthood. We have
these wonderful buildings, these recrea-
tion halls, where the right kind of rec-
reation is available, and where these
events will start at such a time that
youth may return home by at least
GENERAL CONFERENCE
First Day
twelve o'clock. After twelve o'clock is
when the power of the evil one over-
takes youth and others. We should see
to it that they retire to their beds early
that when they get up in the morning
they are not weary. That means much
to youth, particularly those who are
attending school, for out of the strength
they have mentally and physically, they
are able to meet the assignments that
may be given to them by their instruc-
tors. The promise is given, ". . . arise
early, that your bodies and your minds
may be invigorated."
Prayer is also mentioned when the
head of the family, who does or does
not hold the Melchizedek Priesthood,
can call his wife, his sons and his
daughters in the morning hours to ask
the Lord for divine guidance in what-
ever their assignments might be. Then
as the night hours come on, they can
talk to that same Lord and extend grati-
tude and thanks for the many blessings
they enjoy. "Pray always, that ye might
not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo,
I will come quickly, and receive you
unto myself. Amen." (Ibid., 88:126.)
Let us read the eighty-eighth section
of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is a
marvelous revelation. We need it breth-
ren and sisters. We have problems, and
we will continue to have them, and
the Lord has always given us informa-
tion and divine guidance to solve them
through these instructions.
I pray the Lord to bless you all in
your endeavors to guide and direct you
that we may enjoy the divine guidance
of our Heavenly Father, which I pray
will be the blessing of each and every
one of us, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin of the
Presiding Bishopric has just spoken to
us.
The Relief Society Singing Mothers
will now favor us with, "Come Unto
Him," conducted by Sister Florence
Jepperson Madsen. The benediction
will be offered by Elder Clifton A.
Rooker, president of the San Joaquin
Stake, after which this Conference will
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
17
be adjourned until two o'clock this
afternoon.
I repeat to you again that the music
of this session has been furnished by
the Relief Society Singing Mothers from
Central Utah and Mt. Timpanogos
Welfare Regions, under the direction of
Sister Madsen, and you will be happy
to know that these Singing Mothers will
be with us again this afternoon. Elder
Alexander Schreiner has been at the
organ.
The Singing Mothers Chorus sang the
anthem, "Come Unto Him."
Elder Clifton A. Rooker, president
of the San Joaquin Stake, offered the
closing prayer.
Conference adjourned until 2:00 p.m.
FIRST DAY
AFTERNOON MEETING
Conference reconvened Friday after-
noon, September 29, at 2:00 p.m., with
President David O. McKay presiding
and conducting the services.
As was the case in the morning ses-
sion, the choral music was furnished by
the Relief Society Singing Mothers
Chorus from the Central Utah and Mt.
Timpanogos regions, with Sister Flor-
ence Jepperson Madsen conducting.
Frank W. Asper was at the organ
console.
President McKay made the following
introductory remarks:
President David O. McKay:
Members of the Church are con-
vened in the Tabernacle on Temple
Square in Salt Lake City in the second
session of the One Hundred Thirty-First
Semi-Annual Conference of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In
addition to telegrams read in this morn-
ing's session, we have just received the
following cable from President Levi B.
Thorup of the Danish Mission. "Mis-
sionaries and Saints in Demark send
greetings and wishes for a wonderful
Conference."
This session of the Conference will be
broadcast, as the one this morning, as
a public service over television and radio
stations throughout the West. The
names of these stations have already
been announced to the television and
radio audiences. These services are
also being broadcast in the Assembly
Hall and in Barratt Hall by television.
Again we are favored by the presence
of the Relief Society Singing Mothers
from the Central Utah and Mt.
Timpanogos Welfare Regions. Sister
Florence Jepperson Madsen is conduct-
ing, and Elder Frank W. Asper is at
the organ.
We shall begin these services by the
Relief Society Singing Mothers render-
ing "Glory to God." The invocation
will be offered by Elder Henry A. Matis,
president of the Roy Stake.
The Relief Society Singing Mothers
Chorus sang the number, "Glory To
God," following which the opening
prayer was offered by Elder Henry
A. Matis, president of the Roy Stake.
President David O. McKay:
The invocation was offered by Presi-
dent Henry A. Matis of the Roy Stake.
The Relief Society Singing Mothers will
now favor us with, "Lord, Hear Our
Prayer," conducted by Sister Florence
Jepperson Madsen.
Following this song, President Joseph
Fielding Smith will speak to us, Presi-
dent of the Council of the Twelve. He
will be followed by Elder Delbert L.
Stapley of the Council of the Twelve.
The Singing Mother's Chorus then
sang, "Lord, Hear Our Prayer."
President David O. McKay:
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, Presi-
dent of the Quorum of the Twelve, will
now speak to us.
18 GENERAL CONFERENCE
Friday, September 29 First Day
PRESIDENT JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
I consider this a great honor and a privi-
lege to stand before this vast body,
mostly of men holding the priesthood,
to bear testimony unto them of my faith.
I seek the guidance of the Spirit of the
Lord in what I have to say.
During the past week or two I have
received a number of letters from dif-
ferent parts of the United States written
by people, some of whom at least are a
little concerned because they have been
approached by enemies of the Church
and enemies of the Book of Mormon,
who had made the statement that there
have been one or two or more thousand
changes in the Book of Mormon since
the first edition was published. Well,
of course, there is no truth in that
statement.
It is true that when the Book of Mor-
mon was printed the printer was a man
who was unfriendly. The publication
of the book was done under adverse
circumstances, and there were a few
errors, mostly typographical — conditions
that arise in most any book that is
being published — but there was not one
thing in the Book of Mormon or in the
second edition or any other edition since
that in any way contradicts the first
edition, and such changes as were made,
were made by the Prophet Joseph Smith
because under those adverse conditions
the Book of Mormon was published.
But there was no change of doctrine.
Now, these sons of Belial who circu-
late these reports evidently know better.
I will not use the word that is in my
mind. I started to read the Book of
Mormon before I was old enough to be
a deacon, and I have been reading it
ever since, and I know that it is true.
Every member of the Church ought to
know that it is true, and we ought to
be prepared with an answer to all of
these critics who condemn it. They
are laying themselves open to punish-
ment when they come to the judgment,
and the Lord has said that such char-
acters would arise. Moroni wrote about
them, and the Lord answered him in
regard to the critics that "fools mock,
but they shall mourn." (Ether 12:26.)
We have been trying this year to get
every man holding the priesthood, and
our sisters too, to read the Book of
Mormon during the year 1961 — no
matter how many times they may have
read it before. It seems to me that any
member of this Church would never
be satisfied until he or she had read the
Book of Mormon time and time again,
and thoroughly considered it so that he
or she could bear witness that it is in
very deed a record with the inspiration
of the Almighty upon it, and that its
history is true.
I can testify of that, for I know the
Book of Mormon is true just as well as
I know I am standing here in this
building facing you.
So much for that. I want to address
myself to the men holding the priest-
hood, particularly, and to their wives
and to all other members of the Church.
No member of this Church can stand
approved in the presence of God who
has not seriously and carefully read the
Book of Mormon, and I think I could
add to that also, as far as our brethren
are concerned, the Doctrine and
Covenants.
We have besides the Book of Mor-
mon and Doctrine and Covenants, an-
other record which is priceless, as these
records are, that every member of this
Church ought to have read, and which
I fear many have not read. I have
reference to the Pearl of Great Price.
It seems to me that a member of this
Church would not be able to rest in
peace and comfort and have a clear
conscience without having knowledge
by study and by faith of the standard
works of the Church. These records
are priceless. The world mocks at
them, but through their teachings we
are permitted to come nearer unto
God, get a better understanding of our
Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus
Christ, become closer acquainted with
them and to know more in regard to
the wonderful plan of salvation which
they have given unto us and unto the
world if it will receive the plan that
will exalt us in the kingdom of God to
PRESIDENT JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH
19
become his sons and his daughters, re-
ceiving the fulness of that kingdom.
In closing this record, Moroni wrote
these words: "And I exhort you to re-
member these things; for the time
speedily cometh that ye shall know that
I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar
of God; and the Lord God will say unto
you: Did I not declare my words unto
you, which were written by this man,
like as one crying from the dead, yea,
even as one speaking out of the dust?
"I declare these things unto the fulfill-
ing of the prophecies. And behold, they
shall proceed forth out of the mouth of
the everlasting God; and his word shall
hiss forth from generation to generation.
"And God shall show unto you, that
that which I have written is true.
"And again I would exhort you that
ye would come unto Christ, and lay
hold upon every good gift, and touch
not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing."
(Moroni 10:27-30.)
That is the counsel of Moroni as he
closed his record, not only to the mem-
bers of the Church, but to every soul
unto whom this record comes. I want
to bear testimony to you, my good
brethren here, and our sisters and to
the members of the Church who listen
in and to everyone else, that I know that
the Book of Mormon is true; that Joseph
Smith received it from the hand of
God through an angel that was sent
to reveal it, the same angel who, while
living in this world, finished the record
and sealed it up to come forth in this
Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.
I would like to call your attention to
one thing in the Book of Mormon. The
Lord has promised us greater knowledge,
greater understanding than we find in
the Book of Mormon, when we are pre-
pared to receive it. When the brother
of Jared went upon the mount to have
the Lord touch stones to give them light
to light their way across the great ocean,
the Lord revealed to him the history
of this world from the beginning of it
to the end. We do not have it.
I am going to read one or two pas-
sages of scripture from the Book of
Mormon in relation to that matter.
"And he" (that is, Christ) "did ex-
pound all things, even from the be-
ginning until the time that he should
come in his glory — yea, even all things
which should come upon the face of
the earth, even until the elements should
melt with fervent heat, and the earth
should be wrapt together as a scroll,
and the heavens and the earth should
pass away; . . ." (3 Nephi 26:3.)
All of that was written and given to
the Nephites. We do not have that
record, and the Lord said this — which is
concerning us particularly — and Mor-
mon wrote it:
"And these things have I written,
which are a lesser part of the things
which he taught the people; and I have
written them to the intent that they
may be brought again unto this people,
from the Gentiles, according to the
words which Jesus hath spoken.
"And when they shall have received
this, which is expedient that they should
have first, to try their faith, and if it
shall so be that they shall believe these
things then shall the greater things be
made manifest unto them.
"And if it so be that they will not
believe these things, then shall the
greater things be withheld from them,
unto their condemnation." (Ibid., 26:8-
10.)
I say that when the brother of Jared
went on the mount, the Lord revealed
the history of this earth to him from
the beginning to the end thereof, but
we do not have it. But when the
Nephites became righteous, after the
visit of the Son of God, the Lord re-
vealed that record to them, and then
when they began to fall away, he took
the record away again and hid it up.
Here is what the Lord says about it.
"And after Christ truly had showed
himself unto his people, he commanded
that they should be made manifest."
(That is, the full record.)
"And now, after that, they have all
dwindled in unbelief; and there is none
save it be the Lamanites, and they have
rejected the gospel of Christ; therefore
I am commanded that I should hide
them up again in the earth." (Ether
4:2-3.)
For the sake of time I will skip a little
and say that the Lord has promised
that we can have that hidden record
when we are prepared to receive it. I
will read it.
20
Friday, September 29
"For the Lord said unto me: They shall
not go forth unto the Gentiles until the
day that they shall repent of their
iniquity, and become clean before the
Lord.
"And in that day that they shall exer-
cise faith in me, saith the Lord, even
as the brother of Jared did, that they
may become sanctified in me, then will
I manifest unto them the things which
the brother of Jared saw, even to the
unfolding unto them all my revelations,
saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the
Father of the heavens and of the earth,
and all things that in them are."
(Ibid., 4:6-7.)
Now the Lord has placed us on pro-
bation as members of the Church. He
has given us the Book of Mormon, which
is the lesser part, to build up our faith
through our obedience to the counsels
which it contains, and when we our-
selves, members of the Church, are
willing to keep the commandments as
they have been given to us and show
our faith as the Nephites did for a short
period of time, then the Lord is ready
to bring forth the other record and give
it to us, but we are not ready now to
receive it. Why? Because we have not
lived up to the requirements in this pro-
bationary state in the reading of the
record which had been given to us and
in following its counsels.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
First Day
Brethren, teach the men who hold the
priesthood in their quorums. Teach the
members of the Church in their meet-
ings, and also when you visit them in
their homes as ward teachers. When-
ever the opportunity presents itself, teach
them to read and study in faith and
prayer the revelations the Lord has given
us that we may not be deceived and
led astray by false teachers.
We have false teachers among us.
We have apostates among us who are
endeavoring to tear down and destroy
the kingdom of God, and they are dis-
turbing a great many members of the
Church. Why? Because they haven't
the faith nor the background in knowl-
edge to resist these false teachers and
their false doctrines.
Let me plead with the membership of
this Church for humility, for faith, for
more prayer, more study, more love in
their hearts for God their Eternal Father
and his Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
We have just heard from President
Joseph Fielding Smith of the Council
of the Twelve. Elder Delbert L. Stapley
of the Council of the Twelve will now
speak to us. He will be followed by
Elder John Longden, Assistant to the
Twelve.
ELDER DELBERT L. STAPLEY
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
My brothers and sisters, I trust the
talk I have prepared will not depart
from the excellent and very choice
theme introduced this morning by our
beloved President, David O. McKay.
I have thought much about the Lord's
warning given in this last dispensation
against the evils and designs of con-
spiring men in the last days. When
calling our attention to man's crafty
schemes and artful intrigues, the Lord
did not confine the warning, as I under-
stand it, to the forbidden items which
are specifically mentioned in the reve-
lation on the Word of Wisdom or which
have been interpreted as belonging to
this divine law of health. May I read
to you this admonition and warning:
"Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord
unto you: In consequence of evils and
designs which do and will exist in the
hearts of conspiring men in the last
days, I have warned you, and forewarn
you, by giving unto you this word of
wisdom by revelation—" (D&C 89:4.)
The Word of Wisdom is a well se-
lected and timely example chosen by
the Lord for the Saints' understanding
of this warning against the evils and
designs of conspiring men.
The Lord foresaw the evils of our
day and the designs of cunning and
deceiving men who operate under the
influence of Satan and his satanic hosts.
ELDER DELBERT L. STAPLEY
21
Satan's power to deceive and to lead
astray the children of men is unques-
tioned. The scriptures are full of such
examples.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
We, the people of the Lord, cannot af-
ford to be lulled into peaceful security
and complacency. The dangers of our
day are real and knocking constantly
and unrelentingly at our doors. How
ably will we meet the challenge of these
evil influences and designs of wicked
men? The test of true Church mem-
bership is here. Can we stand firm and
true to the principles, ideals, and stand-
ards of the gospel, or will we be so
naive and unsuspecting as to fall into
the traps of evil so cunningly planned
and promoted by designing and con-
spiring men? Those of a religious na-
ture are so often classified naive and
innocently unsuspecting. The Savior
knowing of this attribute counseled his
disciples, "Behold, I send you forth as
sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless
as doves." And he added: ". . . beware
of men " (Matt. 10:16-17.)
Possessing, as we do, the endowment
of the Holy Ghost, if worthy, we are en-
titled to the gift of discernment to guide
and help us avoid the pitfalls of schem-
ing and designing men to trap and
ensnare us into the meshes of worldly
lusts, influences, and pleasures.
I repeat, this warning concerning the
evils and designs of conspiring men, al-
though given in the revelation on the
Word of Wisdom, has a much broader
application than normally applied to its
forbidden items, and, if rightly viewed,
encompasses every field of human en-
deavor. It is equally true that the use
of the things forbidden in the Word of
Wisdom also serve to break down the
accepted Christian virtues and moral
concepts of life which so often lead to
other more serious transgressions and
sins. To narrow the meaning of this
warning would make us vulnerable to
the wicked designs of conspiring men
who are not interested in the salvation
of man but rather are interested in their
own personal favor or gain. The Savior
gave warning that in these last days
Satan will rage in the hearts of the
children of men and will stir them up
to anger against that which is good.
"And others," said the great American
prophet, Nephi, "will he pacify, and
lull them away into carnal security,
that they will say: All is well in Zion;
yea, Zion prospereth, all is well — and
thus the devil cheateth their souls, and
leadeth them away carefully down to
hell." (2 Nephi 28:21.)
We cannot with safety say, "all is
well in Zion." We cannot afford to be-
come complacent and indifferent to the
wicked and deceptive designs of con-
spiring men. Lehi taught, "For it must
needs be, that there is an opposition in
all things." (Ibid., 2:11.) That opposi-
tion is present in force today. The
pressure of Satan's power is intensified
as the time of the Savior's second coming
to earth draws near. We have a fore-
boding example as recorded in the
Book of Mormon history of the Nephite
people in the years just preceding the
birth of Christ into the world. Samuel,
the Lamanite prophet, prophesied to the
Nephites of the approaching birth of
Jesus Christ, our Lord, in the land of
Jerusalem. They rejected his witness
and testimony. They attempted to ex-
plain away the teachings of Samuel and
the unusual phenomena of nature so
much in evidence on this continent be-
fore Christ's birth, which happenings
were also prophesied of by their
prophets. They accused their spiritual
leaders of keeping the people down to
be servants to their words, also servants
unto them. Thus ignorantly persuaded
they were unwilling to yield themselves
to the teachings and warnings of the
prophets.
To sum up these darkened and hard-
ened attitudes of the Nephites, I quote
one paragraph only from the Nephite
record:
"And many more things did the peo-
ple imagine up in their hearts, which
were foolish and vain; and they were
much disturbed, for Satan did stir
them up to do iniquity continually;
yea, he did go about spreading rumors
and contentions upon all the face of
the land, that he might harden the
hearts of the people against that which
was good and against that which should
come." (Helaman 16:22.)
22
Friday, September 29
This account of wickedness and con-
tentions among the Nephites prior to
the Lord's birth in the meridian of time
is duplicated in the wickedness, conten-
tions, and deceptions of our day as we
approach the second coming of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Prophe-
cies concerning these days are also
being fulfilled and Satan is stirring up
the hearts of men to do iniquity con-
tinually; and to thwart, if possible,
faith in the great event of Christ's sec-
ond coming to earth, which I testify is
sure to come to pass. Satan is alert and
active. We must be more alert and
perceptive of the false and insincere
schemes of his agents among us.
Here is a partial list of areas where,
in my judgment, the warning applies.
The listing is not complete and in
no way reflects the order of their
seriousness:
In the field of politics the party is so
often first, regardless of candidate
qualifications or record or party plat-
form and legislative program.
Decisions frequently based upon
political expediency and not what is
best for the people.
Selfish ambitions of men in depart-
ments of government who also seek to
perpetuate themselves in office.
Harassing investigations, many of
which are either publicity stunts or
smoke screens to deceive the public
from the underlying motives and
purposes.
Pressure groups seeking preferential
treatment at the expense of the people
as reflected in increased tax burdens.
The tremendous extravagance and
waste in government with much cover-
ing up of mistakes and errors.
Recreation and amusements in which
money is so often spent for that which
is of no worth to the individual.
The theater and cinema which so fre-
quently portray and encourage the in-
decent, immoral, lustful, and worldly
imaginations and desires of mankind.
Glamorizing the movie star, the enter-
tainer, or the athlete and placing him
or her upon a publicity pedestal when
his or her personal life may not measure
up to the high ideals of moral and
ethical standards of behavior expected of
GENERAL CONFERENCE
First Day
celebrities who are constantly in the
public eye.
So much low standard movie produc-
tions which weaken the moral virtues,
destroy character values, and encourage
vice and crime among youth.
In the field of communications, news-
papers and other periodicals reveal the
vast expanse of man's designs and
schemes and frequently accept advertis-
ing which is false and misleading.
Recommending products, the quality
and benefits of which are of question-
able value.
Newsstands with so much vile, filthy,
and obscene, pornographic literature
which is a disgrace and a disease to
intelligent minds.
Radio and television portray crime,
sex, and the sensational. This worldly
and carnal emphasis applies to the
cinema productions as well.
The underworld of gambling and vice
are constantly and unrelentingly exploit-
ing the innocent and unsuspecting.
Liquor interests and gambling oper-
ators partially justify their existence
through the heavy taxes paid by them
which they claim relieves tax burdens
from the people. They fail to mention
that by the use of their products and
gambling devices, the customer pays
the tax and receives no personal good
from the product or activity.
Some speculative business operators,
also swindlers, with their schemes, stock
promotions, and finance plans of an un-
sound and promotional nature.
Promotions are not always truthful,
also short of dependable facts and fail
in fulfillment of promised income and
rewards.
Organizations with deceptive aims
and purposes which operate under the
cloak of humanitarian, social, or politi-
cal guise to gain personal goals or pre-
ferred group benefits.
The aims and purposes appearing on
the surface do not constitute the real
underlying motives of such sponsoring
groups. Examples may be found in
socialistic and communistic front organ-
izations.
The labor movement in certain areas
is permitting management racketeers
whose motives are sinister and damag-
ing to the working class, to business,
ELDER DELBERT L. STAPLEY
23
and to government. The end of this
serious problem is still before us to be
reckoned with.
The narcotic racket which includes
the promotion and use of harmful
drugs is a constant menace to this and
other countries. The number of drug
addicts is increasing at an alarming
rate. In spite of legislation and con-
trols by the Federal Food and Drug Act,
men evade the law, and the traffic in
narcotics continues to expand and is an
ever-increasing curse to humanity.
The disgraceful abortion racket draws
into its net young women pregnant
out of wedlock who wish to cover
up their sin. Married couples are also
guilty of this heinous sin. I refer you
to the recent articles on this immoral,
murderous racket recently featured in
The Saturday Evening Post of May 20
and May 27 of this year.
The sciences are not free from the
designs of conspiring men, although
true science is fundamental to modern
progress and living. The process of
discovery, which we call science, is
neither good nor evil. It is neutral.
But the conditions which it imposes on
those who practice it are not neutral.
Scientists are human, and many channel
their knowledge developing commercial
products to realize increased personal
wealth. It is the promoters of science
whose chief purpose contemplates finan-
cial gain where evil and designing men
will be found.
Although good ethics exist in the
profession of law, nevertheless the pro-
fession is not without the unscrupulous,
cunning, and designing fellow members.
In the practice of medicine and
surgery, quacks and non-professional
practitioners are found.
Also the physician without knowledge
of the main purpose of life to bring
souls to earth will advise couples to
forego the bearing of children and even
advise sterilization to the regret of both
husband and wife when conditions
change in their lives.
Over-emphasizing surgery, and in
some cases needless and even harmful
surgery.
Another example is the so-called
"cancer cures."
The psychiatrist who attributes cases
of maladjustment in men and women
to a background of sex inadequacy,
suggests as treatment a transgression of
the moral code to correct the ill.
The vast production and sale of drugs,
which ordinarily are beneficial, yet
a fine line must be drawn between the
designs of men in the stock market and
the actual medical need of the drug.
Teachers in educational fields pro-
moting wrong ideas and theories, also
personal views which undermine the
ethical, moral, and spiritual values
which youth should freely receive in the
classroom.
In the field of philosophy are found
the deceptive sophistries of men. Also
the modern intellectual and free thinker
who attempts to modify, change, or im-
prove upon the glorious truths, princi-
ples, and standards revealed of God to
his chosen prophets who speak authori-
tatively by his divine power and wisdom.
Then there are always the insincere
and unethical, as well as the deceiver
and anti-Christ to deal with.
These are but a few areas in the
affairs of mankind where the agents of
evil prey upon the unsuspecting and
innocent. It has ever been so in the
history of man and today unfortunately,
the picture has not changed, but oper-
ates upon a much broader scale. Man's
desires and actions are not always
pleasing to God, and in this era of time
it seems man's conspiring designs and
deceptions are destroying the ethics and
morals pleasing to an all- wise and loving
Father. Youth is systematically ex-
ploited with great energy by the
unscrupulous and scheming agents of
evil. Youth requires wise counsel, good
example, and understanding teachers
to guide them.
In the Church, as elsewhere, we are
at grips with the trying problems of
evil. Therefore, we should be on guard
constantly and so live as to discern the
designs and intents of the wicked and
not fall prey to their sinister schemes
and motives. The Lord has been most
kind and considerate by giving us this
knowledge and warning by revelation.
Will we heed the warning and not yield
to Satan's powers and stratagems to de-
ceive and to destroy us? Our peace,
our safety, our happiness is in listening
24
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Friday, September 29
to and following the teachings and in-
structions of the Lord's anointed.
I pray, my brothers and sisters, that
we will have faith in the revelations and
abide by the commandments, warnings,
and admonitions which the Lord has
given for our guidance, blessing, and
exaltation, and with the eye of faith
see through men's evil designs and with
courage and wise purpose avoid them as
a plague.
First Day
God bless us with wisdom and judg-
ment to do so, I humbly pray, in the
name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
He to whom you have just listened is
Elder Delbert L. Stapley of the Coun-
cil of the Twelve. Elder John Longden,
Associate to the Twelve, will now speak
to us.
ELDER JOHN LONGDEN
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
In just five days it will have been ten
years since I was called to become an
assistant to the Council of the Twelve.
This is the twentieth time that I have
appeared in the Tabernacle in this posi-
tion, and I assure you it does not get
any easier. It has been a decade of joy
and pleasure in visiting throughout the
Church in the United States, Canada,
Mexico, Central America, and the Is-
lands of the South Pacific — Tahiti,
Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, Australia,
and New Zealand.
I am so grateful for the rich privileges
and blessings which have been mine in
association with members of the
Church who are striving to effect in
their lives the teachings of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, members coming, I
presume, from all the churches that are
organized in the world. Some not
having claim to any church have been
willing to listen to the missionaries
and in so doing catch the spirit of the
great message which they have.
I think of the words of Brigham
Young, the leader of modern-day Israel.
What a leader he was in taking the
reins after the Prophet Joseph's martyr-
dom! He made this declaration: "Truth
is our text, the gospel of salvation our
subject, and the world our circuit."
This Church embodies all truth.
Faithful members in this Church know
that all truth emanates from God our
Eternal Father. He is the fountain
source of truth. There is no half-truth
or untruth in this Church. I remem-
ber hearing President George Albert
Smith, another mouthpiece and prophet
of the Lord, declare on several occa-
sions, as he was making an appeal to
others who might not yet have accepted
the full truths of the gospel of Jesus
Christ that they not give up the truths
that they had espoused but further in-
vestigate and study and search for
themselves, and they would find that
which we proclaim is all truth, and that
they would receive a witness of this.
That is the appeal that I have felt
has emanated from the sessions of this
conference thus far. I know in every
fiber of my being that this Church em-
bodies all truth. My, how the world
needs this truth today in order to put
down error, in order to do away with
the things which Brother Stapley has
called to our attention.
It is truth to believe that God lives.
It is truth to believe that Jesus is his
Divine Son, the Savior of the world. It
is truth to believe that they, both of
them, appeared to the boy, Joseph
Smith, in the Sacred Grove. It is truth
to believe that after he was proved and
tested and tried he had the responsibility
of re-establishing the Church of Jesus
Christ again in the earth. It is truth
to believe that all the powers of the
Holy Ghost and the priesthood have
been restored.
Yes, I testify that truth is our text
in very deed. And I also testify that
we have the gospel of salvation, and not
only salvation but also exaltation for all
our Heavenly Father's children who
will accept these truths and live in
obedience to them. It is marvelous to
see the gospel work in the lives of
ELDER JOHN LONGDEN
25
individuals. About six weeks ago to-
day, I had the opportunity of being on
the Island of Tahiti, where I witnessed
there a few days before, the construction
of a little Fall or chapel with a thatched
roof, where the members had been
willing to go out and cut down the
coconut trees for the posts of that
chapel and then tie the palms together
for the roof, and then braiding the palms
to make the sides so that if it stormed
they would have protection from the
wind and the rain. Otherwise, the sides
would be open.
There was a sand floor. Benches had
been made at a cost of probably ten or
fifteen dollars, the total cost of the little
chapel about twenty to twenty-five dol-
lars. As is the case all over the Church,
those people were willing to put in their
time and their effort, and in ten days
the chapel was constructed. I had the
privilege of dedicating that little build-
ing, with 134 people assembled — more
than it could hold. Some were on the
outside. The Spirit of the Lord was
there. They were people willing to
learn about salvation and exaltation.
They were hungry for truth.
Just a week ago tonight it was my
opportunity and privilege to dedicate
the Pesega chapel in Upolu, West-
ern Samoa. The prime minister of
Western Samoa was in attendance and
spoke at the services, commending our
people because he saw lives that had
been changed into something worth-
while as they put away the material
things of life, put away the pitfalls and
the snares of the adversary, and were
willing to cling to truth, having a vision
which this Church offers to all the world
of their possibilities and the develop-
ment of their potential.
About five weeks ago in New Zea-
land, in Christchurch, we went into a
lovely building that is being con-
structed, entirely different from the one
I have referred to at Faaoue in Tahiti.
That is a glorious spot. Here was
a young woman — many working — but
one young woman all wrapped up, it
seemed, with two or three sweaters be-
cause Christchurch can be very cold
in winter and early spring, and there
is nothing colder than a new building
under construction without any heat,
as you workmen know. Upon being
introduced to her I learned that she had
come all the way from Auckland at her
own expense. She had a week's holiday,
and she was willing to serve that time
in painting inside the Church because
she also has a witness of the truth of
the gospel of salvation and exaltation.
Many all over the world are gaining
this witness that this is truth and that
it offers something here in mortality
to live by and also that glorious hope
and promise of the Master that we shall
have the privilege of dwelling with him
and his father — his literal Father and
the Father of our spirits eternally.
Yes, this is a gospel of salvation — sal-
vation from the clutches of Satan,
salvation from the powers of men, sal-
vation which gives us strength to live
by here, and a goal to work toward.
Brigham Young stated that the world
was our circuit. I have not had the
privilege of going around the world,
but half of it at least, and as I say, I
have met with hundreds of missionaries
who are willing to leave their homes
and their loved ones, their families,
their personal pursuits, to go out and
serve. I am so grateful for this privi-
lege to mingle with the youth, to feel
of their spirit, and to give them en-
couragement of what their possibilities
are if they will continue to follow truth.
I bring many greetings to all friends
and loved ones from missionaries I
have visited within the last six weeks in
New Zealand, in Tahiti, and in Samoa.
These missionaries are willing to
teach the world that this is the gospel
of truth, the gospel of salvation and
exaltation, for the world is our circuit,
just as Brigham Young said, and it ap-
plies more than ever today.
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall
be preached in all the world . . . and
then shall the end come." (Matt.
24:14.)
This gospel of the kingdom is truly
going forth to all mankind. Some na-
tions today do not allow our mission-
aries to come in, but that is not the
fault of the prophet of the Lord, Presi-
dent David O. McKay, who has the
vision and the inspiration to guide and
26 GENERAL C
Friday, September 29
direct this great missionary labor. All
who heard President McKay this morn-
ing in his stirring appeal for all to
accept and follow truth must be im-
pressed with the sincerity of his message.
However, in many nations the gospel
is being preached.
So I pray that each one of us may be
missionaries in very deed, living and
teaching by that power of example and
then following the exhortations that
have been given to us in these sessions
to read and study the scriptures and be
so advised that we will be able to teach
others by the spirit that they may feel
it, receiving the same witness, or a like
witness that we have. I bear you my
testimony that these things are true and
pray for his blessings upon us in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
First Day
President David O. McKay:
He to whom we have just listened is
Elder John Longden, Assistant to the
Twelve.
The Relief Society Singing Mothers
and congregation will now join in sing-
ing, "We Thank Thee, O God, For a
Prophet." Elder Eldred G. Smith will
follow the singing.
The congregation and the Singing
Mothers Chorus joined in singing the
hymn, "We Thank Thee, O God, For
A Prophet."
President David O. McKay:
Elder Eldred G. Smith, Patriarch to
the Church, will now address us. Elder
Antoine R. Ivins will follow.
ELDER ELDRED G. SMITH
Patriarch to the Church
I appreciate the honor of this position,
but as other speakers have said, it does
not become easier. I see so many in
the audience who could do much better
than I, yet inasmuch as I am called to
take this position, I pray the Lord's
blessings will be with me.
We have heard considerable about
having faith in the gospel, living the
teachings of the gospel. In the School
of the Elders in Kirtland, Ohio, the
Prophet Joseph Smith stated that there
are certain fundamental principles nec-
essary for us to understand respecting
Deity and our relation to him. In order
that we may exercise faith in him for
life and salvation, we must have correct
ideas of his character, his perfection and
attributes. The Prophet listed such
attributes as knowledge, power, justice,
judgment, mercy, and truth.
These attributes are necessary to en-
able any rational being to exercise faith
in God, for without the idea of the
existence of these attributes in the Deity,
men could not exercise faith in him for
life and salvation. Without the knowl-
edge of all things, God would not be
able to save any part of his creatures;
for it is by reason of the knowledge of
all things from the beginning to the
end that enables him to give that un-
derstanding to his creatures by which
they are made partakers of eternal life.
If it were not for the idea existing in
the minds of men that God has all
knowledge, it would be impossible for
them to exercise faith in him.
Whom do you worship? Do you
worship a Living God or an unknown
God, as the Athenians did?
On Mars' hill, Paul said to the
Athenians: ". . . Ye men of Athens, I
perceive that in all things ye are too
superstitious.
"For as I passed by, and beheld your
devotions, I found an altar with this
inscription, To the Unknown God.
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship,
him declare I unto you.
"God that made the world and all
things therein, seeing that he is Lord
of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in
temples made with hands;
"Neither is worshipped with men's
hands, as though he needed any thing,
seeing he giveth to all life, and breath,
and all things;
"And hath made of one blood all
nations of men for to dwell on all the
ELDER ELDRED G. SMITH
27
face of the earth, and hath determined
the times before appointed, and the
bounds of their habitation;
"That they should seek the Lord, if
haply they might feel after him, and
find him, though he be not far from
every one of us:
"For in him we live, and move, and
have our being; as certain also of your
own poets have said, For we are also
his offspring.
"Forasmuch then as we are the off-
spring of God, we ought not to think
that the Godhead is like unto gold, or
silver, or stone, graven by art, and
man's device." (Acts 17:22-29.)
Paul tells us here that we are the off-
spring of God. Later in his epistle to
the Hebrews he tells us, "Furthermore
we have had fathers of our flesh which
corrected us, and we gave them rever-
ence: shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits,
and live?" (Heb. 12:9.) So we are the
spirit children of God.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the
Lord tells us:
"The Father has a body of flesh and
bones as tangible as man's; the Son
also." (D&C 130:22.)
Now John says, "God is a Spirit: and
they that worship him must worship
him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24.)
Man is also a spirit clothed with flesh
and bones, so, too, is God. Again the
Lord has said in modern revelation,
"For man is spirit. The elements are
eternal, and spirit and element, in-
separably connected, receive a fulness
of joy."' (D&C 93:33.) Birth is the
uniting of this spirit and elements of
physical bodies. Death is the separa-
tion. The resurrection is the reuniting
of the spirit and the physical body,
which the Lord says, "inseparably con-
nected, receive a fulness of joy."
So Moses recorded in Genesis: "So
God created man in his own image, in
the image of God created he him; male
and female created he them." (Gen.
1:27.)
I ask — whom do you worship? Whom
do I worship? I worship my God who
is my Father in heaven, the Father of
my spirit, a resurrected, glorified, per-
fected man, not resurrected from this
earth, no, but from some previous earth
in the long distant past.
How do I know he is a resurrected
man? If he is not, I have no hope in
the resurrection. Neither then is Christ
resurrected, nor others. Then, too, are
all the scriptures false which are replete
with references to resurrected beings
who have appeared to man?
For example, as recorded in Matthew:
"And the graves were opened; and many
bodies of the saints which slept arose,
"And came out of the graves after his
resurrection, and went into the holy
city, and appeared unto many." (Matt.
27:52-53.)
As sure as Jesus Christ is resurrected,
so may I have a hope in a resurrection.
If men may be resurrected and God is
not, then man will have accomplished
what God has not and thus become
greater than God. This we know is
impossible. Hence what men may ac-
complish, God has accomplished ahead
of him.
Then the fact that you are now a
mortal on this earth is proof that God,
too, at one time in the far distant past,
has gone through a life of mortality
ahead of you. Hence God is a resur-
rected, glorified man.
Whom do you worship? I worship
the Living God, my Father in heaven,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
the God of this world. I invite all
honest in heart everywhere to join with
the faithful Latter-day Saints in wor-
shipping our Father in heaven. I know
that God lives and Jesus Christ is his
Son, begotten of the Father in the
flesh. It is he who stands at the head
of this Church, with President David
O. McKay as his prophet here today.
May God bless him and his associates
in this great work and bless all you
good people who endeavor to keep the
commandments of God, in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Eldred G. Smith, Patriarch to
the Church, has just spoken to us. We
shall now hear from Elder Antoine R.
Ivins of the First Council of Seventy.
He will be followed by Elder Spencer
W. Kimball.
28
Friday, September 29
GENERAL CONFERENCE
ELDER ANTOINE R. IVINS
Of the First Council of the Seventy
First Day
My brethren and sisters, it is only the
fact that I have discovered that there
is a great spirit of love and sympathy in
this gathering, that I have the confi-
dence to stand before you this after-
noon and bear my testimony, but it is
no easier than it was thirty years ago
in October when I first did it.
Brother Longden, you need not bragl
Sixty times, my brethren and sisters,
I have pledged to you my service — an
honest service as far as it lay within my
power, and I hope that God has blessed
my efforts that somewhere along the
line, someone may have been encour-
aged and comforted, for that is our
sole purpose.
I find myself following the Patriarch
to the Church as a speaker, and it re-
minds me that when I was a teenager,
about sixty-two years ago, I went to a
patriarch to have a blessing, and it
was a very fine blessing. Mind you, at
that time I was living in Mexico with
the possibility that upon obtaining my
majority, I could become a Mexican
citizen. Some of the promises in that
blessing would depend upon my remain-
ing there and becoming a citizen. That
I did not want to do. So when these
promises have not been realized, I have
never blamed the patriarch. I looked
upon that blessing, brethren and sisters,
as a vision of what I might do if I would
seek the blessings of the Lord, live true
to the covenants that I had made, and
endeavor to realize those blessings.
I think that all of the blessings that
are promised to us throughout the
Church are dependent upon our efforts
to help them come to pass. I never
have felt that a patriarchal blessing was
a prediction as to what must come to
pass, but what might come to pass if
we would help conditions so that those
things could be realized.
Many of those things I have tried to do,
but I just did not want to be a Mexican
citizen, and I did not want to be a Mexi-
can statesman. So I am not holding
Patriarch Stowell responsible for the
failure. It has not been his fault,
brethren and sisters, perhaps it has been
mine, and perhaps I am wholly respon-
sible for it. At any rate I am happy
that it has not come to pass yet.
Now, I wonder if some of us have
the right attitude toward the promises
that are made to us by patriarchs and
other people who bless us. I have had
blessings given me by the President of
the Twelve and the President of the
Church and other people, and I have
felt always that it was an indication of
what the brother who gave me the
blessing felt might be realized if it
pleased God and if I earned it. Maybe
I am not right, but that is the way I
feel about it.
There is another point that this brings
to my mind — it is seventy-two years
since I was baptized and confirmed.
In that baptism and confirmation there
is another promise made to me, and it
is just as possible as the patriarchal
blessing. It is based upon the same
life of service, that if I will live true
to the implied covenants that there are
in the waters of baptism and confirma-
tion, that I can eventually work my way
back into the presence of God, our
Heavenly Father, and be exalted there.
I am thinking that some of us do not
remember that and do not worry too
much about it.
Then my problem is to learn how to
do it, brethren and sisters, and learning
how to do it to make up my mind that
I want to do it, and making up my mind
that I want to, that I start about doing it.
I have a relative by marriage who had
a little difficulty with one of his habits
one time — one that so many people
suffer with, and he said, "Antoine, the
day I made up my mind that I wanted
to quit it, I was through. From that
time on, Antoine, I never had to struggle
with it because I made up my mind
that I wanted to quit." That is one of
our major problems, brethren and
sisters, to find the way back into the
celestial glory in the kingdom of God
and, finding it, make sure that we
follow it.
The way to find out what the gospel
means and the privileges that it holds
ELDER SPENCER W. KIMBALL
29
for us is to study the scriptures. We
have been told about that today, to study
the scriptures and to follow the program
of the Church, brothers and sisters, and
there are a lot of us that are very
sluggish in following the program of the
Church. If you do not believe it, fol-
low me around the next little while
and see how many of our members of
the Melchizedek Priesthood are up to
date in reading the Book of Mormon.
Brothers and sisters, we are just not
there, we are sluggish in doing the
things we know we ought to do and in
studying to find out what pleases God
our Heavenly Father as to the way we
should live.
I believe that the best place where
the gospel of Jesus Christ is set out for
us to follow is in the Book of Mormon.
I have reread it this year, so I dare talk
to you, but where can you find in all of
our scriptures a more complete and
clearer and more concise statement of
the way back into the kingdom of God
than you find in the Book of Mormon.
Of course, we like to read the Bible,
we like to read other works, and I am
never quite satisfied until I join the
Doctrine and Covenants under the same
cover with the Book of Mormon, and
then we have joined the Pearl of Great
Price to them, so we have the triple
combination. Brethren and sisters, I
suggest that we do not stop when we
read the Book of Mormon, but that we
go right through from cover to cover of
that triple combination and try to re-
member what is in it and then make
up our minds we want to do it, for
that is the thing.
You cannot do that, brethren and
sisters, without gaining a testimony of
the gospel of Jesus Christ, and testimony
is necessary. It is absolutely the essential
factor in our determination to do these
things, because some of the things we
have to refrain from doing are pretty
natural for us, and if we do not have
something to guide us and to give us
incentive to bridle our passions (and
that is testimony) we are not so likely
to do it as well as we might.
So testimony is what we seek in this,
brethren and sisters.
Then Brother Marion D. Hanks told
us that we should live in these troublous
times without fear. And what is it that
makes one fearless? The testimony of
Jesus Christl
Sister Ivins and I and the mission
president one time held a meeting in
a little town north of Mexico City
where a few years before two young
men had been arrested and had been
promised their lives if they would deny
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those two
boys stood up beside an adobe wall and
were killed by gunfire, doing it without
fear because they knew the future which
comes from testimony as well as any
of us.
Brethren and sisters, that is our great
problem. Can we get a testimony? We
get it by prayer and study, but more
especially after prayer and study, we
get it by doing the things God tells us
to do and making our lives conform to
them. May he help us to do these
things, I pray in the name of Jesus
Christ, our Redeemer, adding my testi-
mony to the others. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Antoine R. Ivins of the First
Council of Seventy has just spoken to us.
We shall now hear from Elder Spencer
W. Kimball of the Council of the
Twelve.
ELDER SPENCER W. KIMBALL
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
My beloved brothers and sisters, I hope
that of the estimated million who may
have been listening this morning, there
may have been many among them who
might have been kings and their courts,
presidents and their cabinets, prime
ministers and their associates, editors,
commanders of armies and navies and
air forces, and all others in the world,
particularly our fellow men of the
Americas from Tierra del Fuego to Point
Barrow — for the prophet of the Lord
GENERAL CONFERENCE
30
Friday, September 29
spoke in stirring tones of warning to all
the people of this world.
Our world is in turmoil. It is aging
toward senility. It is very ill. Long ago
it was born with brilliant prospects. It
was baptized by water, and its sins were
washed away. It was never baptized
by fire, for that is still to come. It has
had shorter periods of good health, but
longer ones of ailing. Most of the time
there have been pains and aches in some
parts of its anatomy, but now that it is
growing old, complications have set in,
and all the ailments seem to be
everywhere.
The world has been "cliniced," and
the complex diseases have been cata-
logued. The physicians have had
summit consultations, and temporary
salve has been rubbed on afflicted parts,
but it has only postponed the fatal day
and never cured it. It seems that while
remedies have been applied, staph infec-
tion has set in, and the patient's suffer-
ing intensified. His mind is wandering.
It cannot remember its previous illnesses
nor the cure which was applied. The
political physicians through the ages
have rejected suggested remedies as un-
professional since they came from lowly
prophets. Man being what he is with
tendencies such as he has, results can
be prognosticated with some degree of
accuracy.
In an ancient situation somewhat
comparable to our own, there was a
great destruction, and when the quiet
came, those who were spared were
wailing:
". . . O that we had repented before
this great and terrible day, and then
would our brethren have been spared
. . . and our mothers and our fair
daughters, and our children . . . not
have been buried. . . ." (3 Nephi 8:24-
25.)
Today is another day, but history
repeats itself. We read the headlines.
The great powers warn and threaten.
Bombs are detonated. Terror is sub-
stituted for reason. Defense stockpiles
increase. Nuclear races get swifter. The
radios whine. The newspapers carry
glaring headlines, politicians wrangle,
students and authorities harangue.
Everybody expresses opinions, but few
approach the real cause or the real cure.
Firs! Day
What is the illness? Its symptoms are
manifested in every corner of the globe.
They are found among men in high
places, in hut and mansion. Its
symptoms are carelessness, casualness,
covetousness, slothfulness, selfishness,
dishonesty, disobedience, immorality,
uncleanness, unfaithfulness, ungodliness.
Our national and international au-
thorities should know that men have
". . . been destroyed from generation to
generation according to their iniquities;
and never hath any of them been de-
stroyed save it were foretold them by
the prophets of the Lord." (2 Nephi
25:9.) And modern prophets are warn-
ing frequently, constantly. People are
destroyed by their own acts.
"There is one principle," a modern
prophet said, "(that we should) under-
stand: — that is of blessings and cursings.
For instance, we read that war, pesti-
lence, plagues, famine, etc., will be
visited upon the inhabitants of the
earth, but if distress through the judg-
ments of God comes upon this people,
it will be because the majority have
turned away from the Lord."
The world's living prophet has warned
and pleaded that the people return to
God, who has said again: "I, the Lord,
am bound when ye do what I say; but
when ye do not what I say, ye have no
promise." (D&C 82:10.)
This America is no ordinary country.
It is a choice land, "choice above all other
lands." (1 Nephi 2:20.) It has a tragic
and bloody past, but a glorious and
peaceful future if its inhabitants really
learn to serve their God. It was conse-
crated as a land of promise to the people
of the Americas, to whom God gave
these great promises:
"It will be a land of liberty to its
people." (2 Nephi 1:7.)
"They shall never be brought down
into captivity." (Idem.)
"And there shall be none to molest
them." (Ibid., 1:9.)
"It is a land of promise." (1 Nephi
2:20.)
"It shall be free from all nations
under heaven."
"There shall be no enemies come into
this land."
"It shall be free from bondage."
(Ether 2:12.)
ELDER SPENCER W. KIMBALL
31
"There shall be no kings upon the
land." (2 Nephi 10:11.)
"I will fortify this land against all
other nations." (Ibid., 10:12.)
"He that fighteth against Zion shall
perish." (Ibid., 10:13.)
But these promises, glorious though
they be, desirable as they are, can come
only ". . . if they will but serve the God
of this land who is Jesus Christ. . . ."
(Ether 2:12.) There is only one way.
That infallible cure is simply righteous-
ness, obedience, Godliness, honor, and
integrity. There is no other cure.
Mountains of arms and ammunitions
will not guarantee safety, for enemies
can also build fortifications and missiles
and bomb shelters. If we would but be-
lieve the prophets! For they have warned
that if the "inhabitants of this land are
ever brought down into captivity and
enslaved, it shall be because of iniquity;
for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall
be the land." (See 2 Nephi 1:7.)
The prophet exclaims again with
fervor: "And now we . . . behold the
decrees of God concerning this land,
that it is a land of promise; and what-
soever nation shall possess it shall serve
God, or they shall be swept off when the
fulness of his wrath shall come upon
them. And the fulness of his wrath
cometh upon them when they are
ripened in iniquity." (Ether 2:9.)
O that men would listen! Why
should there be spiritual blindness in
the day of brightest material vision?
Why must men rely on fortifications
and armaments when the God of heaven
yearns to bless them? One stroke of
his omnipotent hand could make power-
less all nations who oppose and save
a world even in its death throes.
Jesus Christ our Lord is under no
obligation to save this world. The peo-
ple have ignored him, disbelieved him,
failed to follow him. They stand at his
mercy which will be extended only if
they repent. But to what extent have
we repented? Another prophet said,
"We call evil good, and good evil."
Men have rationalized themselves into
thinking that they are "not so bad."
Are they fully ripe? Has the rot of age
and flabbiness set in? Can they change?
They see evil in their enemies, but none
in themselves. Even in the true
Church numerous of its people fail to
attend their meetings, to tithe their in-
comes, to have their regular prayers,
to keep all the commandments. We can
transform, but will we? It seems that
we would rather tax ourselves into
slavery than to pay our tithes; rather
build protections and walls than drop to
our knees with our families in solemn
prayers night and morning.
It seems that rather than fast and
pray, we prefer to gorge ourselves at the
banquet tables and drink cocktails. In-
stead of disciplining ourselves, we yield
to urges and carnal desires. Numerous
billions we spend on liquor and tobacco.
A Sabbath show or a game or a race
replaces solemn worship. Numerous
mothers prefer the added luxuries of two
incomes to the satisfactions of seeing
children grow up in the fear of God.
Men golf and boat and hunt and fish
rather than to solemnize the Sabbath.
Old man rationalization is with us. Be-
cause we are not vicious enough to be
confined in penitentiaries, we rational-
ize that we are pretty good people; that
we are not doing so badly. The masses
of the people are much like those who
escaped destruction in the ancient days
of this continent. The Lord said to
them:
"O all ye that are spared because ye
were more righteous than they [the
slain ones], will ye not now return unto
me, and repent of your sins, and be
converted, that I may heal you?" (3
Nephi 9:13.)
The Great Wall of China with its
1,500 miles of unbreakable walls, with
its twenty-five feet high impregnable-
ness, with its innumerable watchman
towers, was breached by the treachery
of men.
The Maginot Line in France, these
forts thought to be so strong and im-
passable, were violated as though they
were not there. Strength is not in con-
crete and re-inforcing steel. Protection
is not in walls nor mountains nor cliffs,
yet foolish men still lean on "the arm of
flesh."
The walls of Babylon were too high
to be scaled, too thick to be broken, too
strong to be crumbled, but not too deep
to be undermined when the human
element failed. When the protectors
32
Friday, September 29
sleep and the leaders are incapacitated
with banqueting and drunkenness and
immorality, an invading enemy can turn
a river from its course and enter
through a river bed.
The precipitous walls on the high
hills of Jerusalem deflected for a time
the arrows and spears of enemies, the
catapults and firebrands. But even then
wickedness did not lessen, men did
not learn lessons. Hunger scaled the
walls; thirst broke down the gates; im-
morality, cannibalism, idolatry, godless-
ness stalked about till destruction came.
"Experience is a dear teacher but fools
will learn by no other." But we con-
tinue on in our godlessness. While the
iron curtains rise and thicken, we eat,
drink, and make merry. While armies
are marshalled and march and drill
and officers teach men how to kill, we
continue to drink and carouse as usual.
While bombs are detonated and tested,
and fallout settles on the already sick
world, we continue in idolatry and
adultery. While corridors are threatened
and concessions are made, we live
riotously and divorce and marry in
cycles like the seasons. While leaders
quarrel, and editors write, and authori-
ties analyze and prognosticate, we break
the Sabbath as though no command
had ever been given. While enemies
filter into our nation to subvert us and
intimidate us and soften us, we continue
with our destructive thinking: "It can't
happen here."
Will we ever turn wholly to God?
Fear envelops the world which could
be at ease and peace. In God is protec-
tion, safety, peace. He has said, "I will
fight your battles." But his commitment
is on condition of our faithfulness. He
promised to the children of Israel:
"I will give you rain in due season,"
The land shall yield her increase and
trees their fruit.
Granaries and barns will bulge in
seed time and harvest.
Ye shall eat your bread in abundance.
Ye shall dwell in your land safely and
none shall make you afraid.
Neither shall the sword go through
your land.
And five of you shall chase an hun-
dred, and an hundred of you shall put
GENERAL CONFERENCE
First Day
ten thousand to flight: . . . (See Leviti-
cus 26:4-6, 8.)
But if you fail to serve me:
The land will be barren, (perhaps
radioactive or dry from drought.)
The trees will be without fruit and
the fields without verdure.
There will be rationing and a scarcity
of food and hunger sore.
No traffic will jam your desolate
highways.
Famine will stalk rudely through your
doors and the ogre cannibalism will
rob you of your children and your re-
maining virtues.
There will be pestilence uncontroll-
able.
Your dead bodies will be piled upon
the materialistic things you sought so
hard to accumulate and save.
I will give no protection against
enemies.
They that hate you shall reign over
you.
There will be faintness of heart "and
the sound of a shaken leaf' shall chase
you into flight and you will fall when
none pursueth.
Your power — your supremacy — your
pride in superiority — will be broken.
Your heaven shall be as iron and your
earth as brass. Heaven will not hear
your pleadings nor earth bring forth
her harvest.
Your strength will be spent in vain
as you plow and plant and cultivate.
Your cities will be shambles, your
churches in ruins.
Your enemies will be astonished at the
barrenness, sterility, desolation of the
land they had been told was so choice,
so beautiful, so fruitful.
Then shall the land enjoy her Sab-
baths under compulsion.
And ye shall have no power to stand
before your enemies.
And your people will be scattered
among the nations as slaves and bonds-
men.
You will pay tribute and bondage and
fetters shall bind you. (See Ibid.,
26:14-43.)
What a bleak prediction! Yet "These
are the statutes and judgments and
laws, which the Lord made between
him and the children of Israel in Mt.
Sinai by the hand of Moses." (Ibid.,
ELDER SPENCER W. KIMBALL
33
26:46.) The Israelites failed to heed
the warning. They ignored the proph-
ets. They suffered the fulfillment of
every dire prophecy.
Do we twentieth century people have
reason to think that we can be immune
from the same tragic consequences when
we ignore the same divine laws?
With such innumerable blessings as
are available to godly people of this
land, how can any sane one continue in
his careless patterns of life?
There is a cure for the earth's illness,
an infallible one.
War clouds gather, fear heightens;
tenseness increases, yet there need be
no fear and worry and sleepless nights.
Our God rules in the heavens. He
lives. He loves. He desires the happi-
ness and well being of all his children.
He has a prophet on the earth today
who receives his revelations. He is
a prophet to all the world. He has on
numerous occasions outlined the cure
for all international as well as local
ills. The diagnosis is sure, and the
remedy certain. Today's prophet stands
in the same position between God and
the people as did Isaiah, Samuel, and
even Moses who gave to the world the
ten commandments.
But a controlling majority of the
people of this world have relegated them
to the past.
"Thou shalt have no other gods be-
fore me." (Exodus 20:3. Italics added.)
Yet today we worship the gods of wood
and stone and metal. Not always are
they in the form of a golden calf, but
equally real as objects of protection and
worship. They are houses, lands, bank
accounts, leisure. They are boats, cars,
and luxuries. They are bombs and
ships and armaments. We bow down
to the god of mammon, the god of
luxuries, the god of dissipation.
"Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain; . . ." (Ibid., 20:7.
Italics added.) Yet on the corner, in
public places, on work projects, at ban-
quet tables, there come ringing into
our ears the sacred names of Deity
without solemnity.
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep
it holy." (Ibid., 20:8. Italics added.)
Yet work goes on, merchandise is sold,
athletic entertainments, fishing, hunt-
ing go forward without regard to com-
mandments. Conventions, unnecessary
travel, family picnics, the Sabbath is
violated generally. A relatively few peo-
ple attend their church services, pay
their tithing, serve their fellow men.
Few live up to the truth they know.
The taverns are full, the beaches
crowded, the grandstands packed, man
servants, and maid servants hired to
duty, the ski lifts busy, canyon picnic
tables loaded. Scriptures are read little,
and the holy day becomes a holiday.
"Six days shalt thou labour, . . ."
(Ibid., 20:9. Italics added.) Yet ever-
increasing hours of leisure provide ever
increasing opportunities for Sabbath
breaking and commandment ignoring,
and strikes and lobbying go on to in-
crease damaging leisure and decrease
work hours further.
"Thou shalt not commit adultery."
(Ibid., 20:14. Italics added.) Yet this
common sin and idolatry run hand in
hand. Free love and indiscretions and
deviations of every nature are common
in our day. Illigitimate births are said
to reach as high as one in ten, yet
promiscuity far exceeds illegitimacy.
This ugly deviation is found among
youth and married people. Divorce,
ever on the increase, jumping from one
divorce for thirty-six weddings in Civil
War days now has reached somewhere
near one to four. Flirtations, rational-
ized to be innocent ones, are the root
of numerous of the divorces and other
ills.
"Thou shalt not steal." (Ibid., 20:15.
Italics added.) Yet in high places and
in low, in government office and in
business, in everyday life, men have
rationalized until consciences seem to
have been seared in the matter of hon-
esty. Yet here are bribery, fraud, deceit,
theft, padding of expense accounts, tax
evasion, installment buying beyond
ability to pay, and gambling running
into the billions.
The outlook is bleak, but the impend-
ing tragedy can be averted. But it can
be only through a great repentance and
transformation.
"What can I do?" asks the fearful
one. I can transform my own life till
it is perfected and then influence others
when thus transformed. I am prepared
GENERAL CONFERENCE
34
Friday, September 29
to live or die and need not fear. The
righteous were saved in Enoch's day,
and the wicked were drowned in the
flood. Other rebellious people were de-
stroyed in the convulsions of the earth
in the meridian of time, and they who
were more righteous were saved.
Concerning Jerusalem the Lord said:
"I will defend this city" (2 Kings 19:34.)
when the powerful, invincible Assyrian
army camped at the gates. That night
the Lord saved Jerusalem from Sennach-
erib and his 185,000 troops who did
not live the night through to attack.
Three hundred soldiers and God and
Gideon routed the powerful army of
the Midianites. The thirteen colonies
gained a permanent victory over supe-
rior forces, and America was born. The
Lord and David slew Goliath, and Israel
won many battles when they were right-
eous. God will fight our battles if we
honor him and serve him with all our
hearts, might, mind, and strength.
This I know, for the Lord has so de-
clared it through the ages, and I know
he lives and is all powerful.
The cause is not lost. If race tracks
were closed on the Sabbath, if gambling
ceased, drinking eliminated, work and
play confined to week days; if stores
were closed and all people went to their
sanctuaries truly to worship even as best
they know; if taverns never opened, and
transgressors all repented, and broken
homes were mended, and children were
trained in uprightness; if families all
knelt in prayer night and morning, if
tithes were paid and integrity and wor-
ship reigned in the lives of men, the
era of total peace would be ushered in.
Fear would vanish, and enemies would
be subdued.
"I will fight your battles," says the
Lord God Omnipotent. He never fails
his promises.
If we are of the masses who are casual,
passive, irreligious, irreverent, unholy,
immoral, ungodly, then we must "re-
pent or suffer."
Of course, a one-sided disarmament
could be madness if worldliness and
materialism continued, but a serious
turn of the masses could forestall all
military conquests, all tragedies of con-
flict. God is all powerful.
I plead with men everywhere to
First Day
"Come, listen to a prophet's voice" and
hear the word of God from our living
prophet who sits with us here today. I
know he is God's recognized prophet. I
beg of you to listen and act, in the name
of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Now we shall hear the closing song
by the Relief Society Singing Mothers.
We shall listen to a song that is being
sung by request. It is one of the songs
sung by the International Women's
Chorus in Albert Hall, London, con-
ducted by Sister Florence Jepperson
Madsen. It is entitled, "The Snow."
I remember well how surprised sev-
eral titled ladies were who attended that
concert. Lady Bennett expressed her
surprise and commendation as she lis-
tened to Sister Florence Jepperson Mad-
sen lead masterfully that great chorus
on that occasion. Either two or three
titled ladies came in to the president
of our Relief Society and joined in that
commendation. I am sure, sisters, the
press and all their commendation is not
exceeded by the audience who listened
to you this morning and this afternoon.
All we can say, Sister Madsen, is "thank
you." That's a cold way, but all our
gratitude goes with that because of our
love for mothers. In behalf of all who
have listened to you during the Relief
Society sessions and today, in behalf of
the General Authorities of the Church
and the audiences here and listening, I
say "God bless you."
The general sessions tomorrow will
be broadcast as a public service over
television and radio stations throughout
the West. There will be a Welfare Agri-
cultural Meeting in the Assembly Hall
Saturday morning — tomorrow morning
— at 7:30. Stake presidencies, bishop-
rics, or their representatives, stake and
ward farm managers and committees,
and all others interested in agriculture,
are invited to attend this meeting.
Presidents of temples will attend the
meeting tonight at 6 p.m.
For the benefit of those who are
listening in, the singing of this session
has been furnished by the Relief So-
ciety Singing Mothers from the Central
Utah and Mt. Timpanogos Welfare
Regions, under the direction of Sister
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
35
Florence Jepperson Madsen, with Frank
W. Asper at the organ.
We shall now listen to, "The Snow,"
and the benediction will be offered by
President John Clyde Spencer of the
Garfield Stake. Following the bene-
diction this conference will be ad-
journed until ten o'clock tomorrow
morning.
The Relief Society Singing Mothers
sang, "The Snow."
Elder John Clyde Spencer, president
of the Garfield Stake, offered the closing
prayer.
Conference adjourned until 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, September 30.
SECOND DAY
MORNING MEETING
Saturday morning, September 30, 1961.
Conference reconvened at 10:00 a.m.
in the Tabernacle.
The University of Utah Mixed Chorus,
under the direction of Ardean W. Watts,
furnished the music for this session of
the Conference. Frank W. Asper was at
the organ.
President David O. McKay, who pre-
sided and conducted the services, made
the following opening remarks:
President David O. McKay:
To this large audience in the Taber-
nacle and all who are listening in by
radio and television we extend wel-
come to this third session of the One
Hundred Thirty-First Semi-Annual Con-
ference of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. We have just
received word that President Clark is
about the same. There is no change in
his condition. Other General Authori-
ties are present, excepting Elder A.
Theodore Tuttle, who is supervising the
missions in South America, and Elder
Bruce R. McConkie who is presiding
over the Southern Australian Mission.
We acknowledge the presence of, and
welcome our stake presidencies, high
councilmen, bishoprics, temple presi-
dencies, and General Auxiliaries of the
Church. We are pleased to note the
attendance of the following also:
United States Senator Wallace F. Ben-
nett; Lamont Toronto, Secretary of
State; Ernest L. Wilkinson, president of
the Brigham Young University; Dr.
Homer Durham, president of Arizona
State University; Dr. John L. Clarke,
president of Ricks College; Judge A.
Sherman Christenson, Associate Judge
of the Federal Court; representatives of
the Chamber of Commerce, and others
whom probably we have overlooked,
but whom we recognize and bid wel-
come in the audience.
This session of the Conference will be
broadcast as a public service over tele-
vision and radio stations throughout the
West. These services are also being
broadcast in the Assembly Hall and in
Barratt Hall by television. Those who
are standing in the doorways, if they
wish, may possibly find seats in these
other halls.
The singing for this session will be
furnished by the University of Utah
Mixed Chorus; and this afternoon by the
University of Utah Institute of Religion,
the University Stake Chorus, and the
Bonneville Strings. We extend a hearty
welcome to these young people. It is
a joy to have them present today.
These services will begin by the
University of Utah Mixed Chorus sing-
ing, "Let Their Celestial Concerts All
Unite," with Ardean W. Watts con-
ducting, and Frank W. Asper at the
organ. The invocation will be offered
by Elder Eugene C. Ludwig, president
of the Grant Stake.
The University of Utah Mixed Chorus
sang as an opening number, "Let Their
Celestial Concerts All Unite."
The opening prayer was offered by
President Eugene C. Ludwig of the
Grant Stake.
President David O. McKay:
President Eugene C. Ludwig of the
Grant Stake just offered the invocation.
The University of Utah Mixed Chorus
36
Saturday, September 30
will now favor us with, "O Brother
Man"; composer, Leroy J. Robertson,
conducted by Ardean W. Watts.
Singing by the University of Utah
Mixed Chorus, "O Brother Man" (Le-
Roy J. Robertson).
President David O. McKay:
Elder Joseph Anderson, Clerk of the
Conference, will now read changes in
Church Officers, Temple, Mission,
Stake, Ward and Branch Organizations
since the April Conference, 1961.
Elder Joseph Anderson, Clerk of the
Conference, then read statistical data:
CHANGES IN CHURCH OFFICERS
MISSION, STAKE, WARD, AND
BRANCH ORGANIZATIONS SINCE
APRIL CONFERENCE, 1961
NEW MISSIONS ORGANIZED
Berlin Mission.
Chilean Mission.
West European Mission.
MISSION PRESIDENTS APPOINTED
Berlin Mission: Percy K. Fetzer.
Central States Mission: George Carlos
Smith, Jr., to succeed Samuel R.
Carpenter.
Chilean Mission: A. Delbert Palmer.
Finnish Mission: Mark Anderson, to
succeed John David Warner.
French Mission: Rulon T. Hinckley,
to succeed Edgar B. Brossard.
North German Mission: Howard C.
Maycock, to succeed Percy K. Fetzer.
Southwest Indian Mission: J. Edwin
Baird, to succeed Fred A. Turley.
Spanish American Mission: Melvin
Richard Brooks, to succeed Ralph E.
Brown.
West European Mission: Nathan
Eldon Tanner.
West Spanish American Mission:
Grant Milton Burbidge, to succeed Le-
land M. Perry.
Western Canadian Mission: Carroll
William Smith, to succeed Parley An-
drew Arave.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
NEW STAKES ORGANIZED
Alaska Stake organized August 13,
1961 from the Alaskan-Canadian Mis-
sion.
Beaumont Stake organized September
3, 1961 by division of Houston Stake.
Berlin Stake organized September 10,
1961 from the Berlin Mission.
Cleveland Stake organized September
20, 1961 from the Great Lakes Mission.
Garden Grove Stake organized June
25, 1961 by division of Santa Ana Stake.
Greensboro Stake organized Septem-
ber 13, 1961 from the Central Atlantic
States Mission.
North Carolina Stake organized Au-
gust 27, 1961 from the Central Atlantic
States Mission.
San Leandro Stake organized May 21,
1961 by division of Hayward Stake.
STAKE PRESIDENTS APPOINTED
Alaska Stake: Orson Paul Millett.
Bear Lake Stake: Wm. Kenneth
Matthews to succeed L. Burdette Pug-
mire.
Beaumont Stake: Alden Cardon Stout.
Benson Stake: Thulburn Russell Holt,
to succeed Clarence Neeley.
Berlin Stake: Rudi H. Seehagen.
Canyon Rim Stake: John J. Nielsen,
to succeed Verl F. Scott.
Cleveland Stake: E. Doyle Robison.
East Idaho Falls Stake: Erwin Emil
Wirkus to succeed Charles P. Brizzee.
Florida Stake: Henry V. Jenkins to
succeed Alvin C. Chace.
Garden Grove Stake: James Malan
Hobbs.
Glendale Stake: Robert Christian
Seamons, to succeed Edwin S. Dibble.
Greensboro Stake: Eugene Alexander
Gulledge.
Hayward Stake: Francis Benjamin
Winkel, to succeed Milton P. Ream.
Klamath Stake: Ronald Earl Phair, to
succeed Carroll William Smith.
Manchester Stake: William Bates, to
succeed Robert G. Larsen.
North Carolina Stake: Cecil Everett
Reese.
Orlando Stake: Farrell Archie Munns,
to succeed W. Leonard Duggar.
Provo Stake: Dean C. Christensen, to
succeed Aura C. Hatch.
San Leandro Stake: Milton Parker
Ream.
CHANGES IN CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS
37
Sugar House Stake: Wilford Wayne
Kimball, to succeed A. Hamer Reiser.
Valley View Stake: Rex C. Reeve, to
succeed Lamont B. Gundersen.
Wilford Stake: Lee Hendricks Nelson,
to succeed Finn B. Paulsen.
NEW WARDS ORGANIZED
Alaska Stake: Anchorage, Anchorage
Second, Anchorage Third, Fairbanks
Second, and Palmer Wards, formerly of
the Alaskan-Canadian Mission.
Atlanta Stake: Columbus Second
Ward, formerly South Columbus
Branch.
Berlin Stake: Dahlem, Nord and
Spandau Wards, formerly of the Berlin
Mission.
Boise Stake: Boise Fifteenth Ward,
formed by division of Boise Ninth
Ward.
Bountiful North Stake: Bountiful
Twenty-Second Ward, formed by divi-
sion of Bountiful Twelfth Ward.
Bountiful South Stake: Bountiful
Twentieth Ward, formed by division of
Bountiful Fourth and Seventh Wards.
Chicago Stake: West Suburban Sec-
ond Ward, formed by division of West
Suburban Ward.
Cleveland Stake: Cleveland East, Ak-
ron, Lorain, Kent-Ravenna, Tri-City,
and Canton Wards, formerly of the
Great Lakes Mission.
Cottonwood Stake: South Cottonwood
Sixth Ward, formed by division of South
Cottonwood Ward.
Davis Stake: Kaysville Seventh Ward,
formed by division of Kaysville First
Ward.
East Provo Stake: Provo Twenty-Sec-
ond Ward, formed by division of Provo
Fifteenth and Bonneville Wards.
East Sharon Stake: Oak Hills Third
Ward, formed by division of Oak Hills
Second Ward; Oak Hills Fourth Ward,
formed by division of Oak Hills First
Ward.
Edmonton Stake: Red Deer Ward,
formerly Red Deer Branch.
Glendale Stake: Glendale Third
Ward, formed by division of Glendale
East and West Wards.
Granger North Stake: Redwood Third
Ward, formed by division of Redwood
Ward.
Greensboro Stake: Burlington, Cas-
well, Charlotte, Colfax, Greensboro,
Kannapolis, and Mt. Airy Wards,
formerly of the Central Atlantic States
Mission.
Hamilton Stake: Hamilton Second
Ward, formed by division of Hamilton
Ward.
Kanab Stake: Page Ward, formerly
Page Branch.
Lethbridge Stake: MacLeod Ward,
formerly Ft. MacLeod Branch.
Midvale Stake: Midvale Fifth Ward,
formed by division of Midvale Third
and Fourth Wards.
Mt. Rubidoux Stake: Arlington Sec-
ond Ward, formed by division of
Arlington Ward.
Nebo Stake: Payson Sixth Ward,
formed by division of Payson Second
and Third and West Wards.
North Box Elder Stake: Brigham
Fifteenth Ward, formed by division of
Brigham Third and Seventh Wards.
North Carolina Stake: Albertson,
Goldsboro, Harkers Island, Howards
Chapel, Kinston, Mt. Zion, New Bern
and Wilmington Wards, formerly of
the Central Atlantic States Mission.
North Seattle Stake: University Ward,
formed from various wards; Mountlake
Ward, formed by division of Alderwood
Ward.
Oahu Stake: Laie Third Ward,
formed by division of Laie and Laie
Second Wards.
Orlando Stake: Cocoa Ward, formerly
Cocoa Branch; Sanford Ward, formerly
Sanford Branch.
Phoenix North Stake: Phoenix Twen-
tieth Ward, formed by division of
Phoenix Sixteenth Ward.
Puget Sound Stake: Olympia Second
Ward, formed by division of Olympia
Ward.
Redding Stake: Mt. Shasta Ward,
formerly Mt. Shasta Branch; Corning
Ward, formerly Corning Branch; Red-
ding Second Ward, formed by division
of Redding and Central Valley Wards.
Reno Stake: Lovelock Ward, formerly
Lovelock Branch; Sparks Ward formed
by division of Sparks West and Sparks
East Wards.
Richland Stake: Kennewick Second
Ward, formed by division of Kennewick
Ward; Basin City Ward, formerly North
Franklin Branch.
St. Louis Stake: St. Louis Third Ward,
formed by division of St. Louis First and
38
Saturday, September 30
Second Wards; Rolla Ward, formerly
Rolla Branch.
San Antonio Stake: San Antonio
Third Ward, formerly Lackland Branch.
San Francisco Stake: Daly City Ward,
formed by division of Balboa and Bal-
boa Second Wards; Polynesian Ward,
formerly Polynesian Branch.
San Joaquin Stake: Modesto Third
Ward, formed by division of Modesto
Ward.
San Jose Stake: San Jose Sixth Ward,
formed by division of San Jose Fourth
Ward.
San Luis Obispo Stake: Santa Maria
Second Ward, formed by division of
Santa Maria Ward.
Sandy Stake: Sandy Tenth Ward,
formed by division of Sandy Fifth Ward.
Seattle Stake: Seattle Eleventh Ward,
formed by division of Seattle Second
Ward.
Sevier Stake: Richfield Seventh Ward,
formed by division of Richfield Fifth
Ward.
South Blackfoot Stake: Blackfoot
Ninth Ward, formed by division of
Blackfoot Sixth Ward.
Taber Stake: Taber Third Ward,
formed by division of Taber First Ward.
Tucson Stake: Tucson Sixth Ward,
formed by division of Tucson Second
Ward; Tucson Seventh Ward, formed
by division of Tucson Fourth Ward.
Tulsa Stake: Tulsa Third Ward,
formed by division of Tulsa Second
Ward.
University Stake: University Ninth
Ward.
Utah State University Stake: Univer-
sity Tenth Ward, formed from various
wards.
Valley View Stake: Valley View
Seventh Ward, formed by divsion of
the six Valley View Wards; Valley View
Eighth Ward, formed by division of the
six Valley View Wards.
Walnut Creek Stake: Antioch Ward,
formed by division of Pittsburg Ward;
Oakgrove Ward, formed by division of
Concord Second Ward.
West Boise Stake: Boise Sixteenth
Ward, formed by division of Boise
Eighth and Eleventh Wards.
WARDS AND BRANCHES
TRANSFERRED
Alaska Stake: Anchorage, Anchorage
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
Second and Third, Fairbanks, Fairbanks
Second, and Palmer Wards, formerly of
the Alaskan-Canadian Mission.
Beaumont Stake: Beaumont, Silsbee,
and Williamson Wards; Buna, Lake
Charles, Orange, Port Arthur, and
Woodville Branches, formerly of Hous-
ton Stake.
Butte Stake: Philipsburg Branch,
formerly of Missoula Stake.
East Idaho Falls Stake: Coltman,
Ucon, and Ucon Second Wards, form-
erly of North Idaho Falls Stake.
Greensboro Stake: Burlington, Cas-
well, Charlotte, Colfax, Greensboro,
Kannapolis, and Mt. Airy Wards; Ashe-
boro, Lexington, and Rockingham
Branches, formerly of the Central At-
lantic States Mission.
Idaho Falls Stake: Idaho Falls
Twenty-Fourth Ward, formerly of East
Idaho Falls Stake.
Leeds Stake: Bradford Ward, former-
ly of Manchester Stake.
North Carolina Stake: Albertson,
Goldsboro, Harkers Island, Howards
Chapel, Kinston, Mt. Zion, New Bern,
and Wilmington Wards; Greenville,
Jacksonville, and Waccamaw River
Branches, formerly of the Central At-
lantic States Mission.
San Leandro Stake: Castro Valley,
Castro Valley Second, Oakland Second,
San Leandro, San Leandro Second, San
Lorenzo, and San Lorenzo Second
Wards, formerly of Hayward Stake.
Santa Rosa Stake: Cloverdale, Fort
Bragg, Lakeport, Ukiah, and Willits
Branches, formerly of the Northern
California Mission.
South Carolina Stake: Aiken and
Camden Branches, formerly of the
Southern States Mission.
WARD AND BRANCH NAME
CHANGED
Richland Stake: Basin City Ward,
formerly North Franklin Branch.
INDEPENDENT BRANCHES
ORGANIZED
Alaska Stake: Chugiak and Eielson
Branches.
Ashley Stake: Bennett Branch (Indian
Branch) .
Berlin Stake: Charlottenburg, Tern-
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
39
pelhof, and Neukoeln Branches, form-
erly of the Berlin Mission.
Cleveland Stake: Sandusky, Geneva,
Alliance, and Wooster Branches, form-
erly of the Great Lakes Mission.
El Paso Stake: Dell City Branch,
formed by division of El Paso Fourth
and Carlsbad Wards.
Flagstaff Stake: Ashfork Branch,
formed by division of Williams Branch.
Greensboro Stake: Asheboro, Lexing-
ton, and Rockingham Branches, form-
erly of the Central Atlantic States
Mission.
Hamilton Stake: Cambridge Branch,
formed by division of Hamilton Ward;
Paeroa Branch, formed by division of
Thames Branch.
Houston Stake: Woodville Branch,
formed by division of Silsbee and Bay-
town Wards and Buna Branch of
Houston Stake, and Longview Ward of
Shreveport Stake.
Kanab Stake: Kaibab Branch, formed
for the Lamanite people of this area.
Lost River Stake: Howe Branch,
formed by division of Arco Ward.
Nampa Stake: McDermitt Branch,
formed by division of Marsing Ward.
North Carolina Stake: Greenville,
Jacksonville, and Waccamaw River
Branches, formerly of the Central At-
lantic States Mission.
Santa Rosa Stake: Cloverdale, Fort
Bragg, Lakeport, Ukiah, and Willits
Branches, formerly of the Northern
California Mission.
South Carolina Stake: Aiken and
Camden Branches, formerly of the
Southern States Mission.
South Los Angeles Stake: Indian
Branch.
Tampa Stake: Lake Wales Branch,
formed by division of Winter Haven
Ward.
Taylor Stake: Foremost Branch,
formed by division of Wrentham
Branch.
Twin Falls Stake: Hollister Branch,
formed by division of Twin Falls Sec-
ond Ward.
Uintah Stake: Gusher Branch (Indian
Branch).
Uvada Stake: Enterprise Indian
Branch, formed by division of Enter-
prise Second Ward.
WARDS AND INDEPENDENT
BRANCHES DISCONTINUED
Hamilton Stake: Te Puke Branch,
membership transferred to Tauranga
Ward.
Liberty Stake: North Eighth Ward,
membership transferred to the Eighth
Ward.
Murray Stake: Murray Fourth Ward,
membership transferred to Murray Sec-
ond Ward.
New Orleans Stake: Gulfport, Biloxi,
Columbia, Hattiesburg, Liberty, Bayou
La Croix, McNeill, Sand Hill, and
Pascagoula Wards and branches, now
branches in the Gulf State Mission.
San Diego East Stake: Spanish- Amer-
ican Branch, membership transferred to
various wards.
Tooele Stake: Tod Park Branch, mem-
bership transferred to Stockton Ward.
West Jordan Stake: Bingham Ward,
membership transferred to Copperton
Ward.
THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY
Christian Jensen, former acting presi-
dent of the Brigham Young University.
Alice Sheets Smoot, widow of the late
Elder Reed Smoot of the Council of the
Twelve Apostles and former United
States Senator from Utah.
President David O. McKay:
Before President Henry D. Moyle
presents the names of the General Au-
thorities and General Officers of the
Church, I wish to say a few words
and present some releases for your
consideration.
Last June it was evident to the
First Presidency of the Church, the
President and his two counselors, J.
Reuben Clark, Jr. and Henry D. Moyle,
that it would be necessary to have some
help in the First Presidency. According-
ly, the President recommended a mem-
ber of the Twelve, Hugh B. Brown, as
an assistant in the First Presidency. This
was presented to the members of the
Council of the Twelve who unanimously
approved of the appointment, and on
June 22, 1961 Brother Brown was set
apart and ordained as an assistant
in the First Presidency. Today when
40
Saturday, September 30
the names are presented, we ask your
support of this action of the First Presi-
dency of the Church.
Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin was re-
cently appointed as Secretary-Treasurer
of the Deseret Title Holding Corpora-
tion, and the Brethren feel that it would
be well not to overburden him as Presid-
ing Bishop, and recommend that he be
appointed Secretary-Treasurer of this
Holding Corporation, and that he be re-
leased as Presiding Bishop of the
Church; and with him his counselors,
Thorpe B. Isaacson, and his second
counselor, Bishop Carl W. Buehner.
It is also recommended that the Pres-
idency of the Young Women's Associa-
tion be reorganized; that Sister Bertha
S. Reeder, President, be honorably re-
leased, with her counselors — Sister Emily
H. Bennett as first counselor, and Sister
LaRue C. Longden as second counselor.
I would just like to say a word about
the release of these good, faithful
brethren and sisters. The accomplish-
ment of the three men as the Presidency
of the Aaronic Priesthood of the Church
has been apparent to all who have had
occasion to note their diligence and
success with the young men under their
immediate direction. Last Thursday, in
a meeting of all the General Authori-
ties, when called upon to represent the
Presiding Bishopric, Bishop Carl W.
Buehner gave a very enlightening and
inspirational address regarding the de-
tails and comprehensive activities of this
important department of the Church.
Their work in taking care of statistical
and financial phases, and particularly
their remarkably successful efforts with
the members of the Senior Aaronic
Priesthood, will mark their era of serv-
ice with everlasting distinction, and re-
dound to the blessing of thousands,
with their release of these important po-
sitions, and with the commendation and
blessings of the General Authorities of
the Church, and all who have been
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
blessed by their inspirational efforts.
Never before in the history of the
Church has there been such a marked
increase in attendance at Sacrament
Meetings and other important meetings
in stakes, wards, missions and branches
throughout the Church in all the world.
That increased attendance is largely
due to the work of the Presiding Bishop-
ric, and General Superintendency of the
Young Men's Mutual Improvement As-
sociation among the young men, and the
General Presidency of the Young Wom-
en's Mutual Improvement Association
among the young women of the Church.
With this release of the Presiding
Bishopric and the General Presidency of
the Young Women's Mutual Improve-
ment Association goes the assurance of
our gratitude to the Lord that you have
rendered to him and to his Church such
concentrated effort and devotion. Please
accept of our heartfelt gratitude for the
service you have so ably and unselfishly
rendered. May the blessings of the Lord
and his divine protection be with you
always.
We recommend therefore, to the
Church, its representatives in Confer-
ence assembled, the honorable release
of Joseph L. Wirthlin as Presiding
Bishop, Thorpe B. Isaacson as First
Counselor, and Carl W. Buehner as
Second Counselor. All in favor of this
proposition manifest it by raising the
right hand. Any who are opposed by
the same sign.
We recommend the honorable release
of Sister Bertha S. Reeder as General
President of the Young Women's Mu-
tual Improvement Association, and Sis-
ter Emily H. Bennett as First Counselor,
and Sister LaRue C. Longden as Second
Counselor. All in favor will please
manifest it.
President Henry D. Moyle will now
present for your sustaining vote or other-
wise the General Authorities and Offi-
cers of the Church.
GENERAL AUTHORITIES OF THE CHURCH
The First Presidency
David O. McKay, Prophet, Seer and Revelator, and President of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
J. Reuben Clark, Jr., First Counselor in the First Presidency.
Henry D. Moyle, Second Counselor in the First Presidency.
Hugh B. Brown, Counselor in the First Presidency.
GENERAL OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH 41
President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
Joseph Fielding Smith
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Joseph Fielding Smith Marion G. Romney
Harold B. Lee LeGrand Richards
Spencer W. Kimball Richard L. Evans
Ezra Taft Benson George Q. Morris
Mark E. Petersen Howard W. Hunter
Delbert L. Stapley Gordon B. Hinckley
Patriarch to the Church
Eldred G. Smith
The Counselors in the First Presidency, the Twelve Apostles and the Patriarch
to the Church as Prophets, Seers and Revelators.
Assistants to the Twelve
Alma Sonne Alvin R. Dyer
El Ray L. Christiansen Nathan Eldon Tanner
John Longden Franklin D. Richards
Sterling W. Sill Theodore M. Burton
Henry D. Taylor Thorpe B. Isaacson
William J. Critchlow, Jr. Boyd K. Packer
Trustee-in-Trust
David O. McKay
as Trustee-in-Trust for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The First Council of the Seventy
Levi Edgar Young Bruce R. McConkie
Antoine R. Ivins Marion D. Hanks
Seymour Dilworth Young Albert Theodore Tuttle
Milton R. Hunter
Presiding Bishopric
John H. Vandenberg, Presiding Bishop
Robert L. Simpson, First Counselor
Victor L. Brown, Second Counselor
Church Historian and Recorder
Joseph Fielding Smith, with A. William Lund and Preston Nibley as Assistants.
GENERAL AUXILIARY OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH
Relief Society
Belle Smith Spafford, President
Marianne Clark Sharp, First Counselor
Louise Wallace Madsen, Second Counselor
with all members of the Board as at present constituted.
Deseret Sunday School Union
George R. Hill, General Superintendent
David Lawrence McKay, First Assistant Superintendent
Lynn S. Richards, Second Assistant Superintendent
with all members of the Board as at present constituted.
42 GENERAL CONFERENCE
Saturday, September 30 Second Day
Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association
Joseph T. Bentley, General Superintendent
George Carlos Smith, Jr., First Assistant Superintendent
Marvin J. Ashton, Second Assistant Superintendent
with all members of the Board as at present constituted.
Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association
Florence Smith Jacobsen, President
Margaret Romney Jackson, First Counselor
Dorothy Palmer Holt, Second Counselor
Primary Association
LaVern W. Parmley, President
Arta M. Hale, First Counselor
Leone W. Doxey, Second Counselor
with all members of the Board as at present constituted.
Church Board of Education
David O. McKay Mark E. Petersen
J. Reuben Clark, Jr. Delbert L. Stapley
Henry D. Moyle Marion G. Romney
Hugh B. Brown LeGrand Richards
Joseph Fielding Smith Richard L. Evans
Harold B. Lee George Q. Morris
Spencer W. Kimball Howard W. Hunter
Ezra Taft Benson Gordon B. Hinckley
Chancellor of the Church School System
Ernest L. Wilkinson
Church Finance Committee
Orval W. Adams
Harold H. Bennett
Wilford G. Edling
Glenn E. Nielson
Weston E. Hamilton
Senior Church Auditors
Harold L. Davis
Charles Schmidt
CHURCH WELFARE COMMITTEE
Advisers
Harold B. Lee John Longden
Delbert L. Stapley Henry D. Taylor
Marion G. Romney Antoine R. Ivins
LeGrand Richards John H. Vandenberg
Howard W. Hunter Robert L. Simpson
Alma Sonne Victor L. Brown
El Ray L. Christiansen
and the General Presidency of Relief Society
PRESIDENT HENRY D. MOYLE
43
Genera.. Church Welfare Committee
Marion G. Romney, Chairman
Henry D. Taylor, Managing Director
Paul C. Child Walter Stover
Mark B. Garff A. Lewis Elggren
William T. Lawrence Donald Ellsworth
Lorenzo H. Hatch Casper H. Parker
Walter Dansie Alfred B. Smith
LeRoy A. Wirthlin
Tabernacle Choir
Lester F. Hewlett, President
Richard P. Condie, Conductor
Jay E. Welch, Assistant Conductor
W. Jack Thomas, Tour Manager
Organists
Alexander Schreiner
Frank W. Asper
Roy M. Darley, Assistant
President Henry D. Moyle:
President McKay, the voting seems
to have been unanimous in the affir-
mative.
President David O. McKay:
You will note that only the Presidency
of the Young Women's Association was
presented to you for your sustaining
vote. It will be appropriate to accept the
recommendation that with the honor-
able release of Sister Reeder and her
counselors all members of the Young
Women's Board have received an hon-
orable release also, leaving the new
Presidency free to choose as many of
the Board as they wish, and any others.
It is recommended, therefore, that with
the present release of the Presidency of
the Young Women's Board all members
of the Board be also honorably released.
All in favor will manifest it. Any op-
posed? That is why there was a hesi-
tancy in the presentation of the Young
Women's Board.
Thank you all for unanimous voting.
President Henry D. Moyle of the
First Presidency will be our first speaker
this morning. He will be followed by
Elder Mark E. Petersen.
PRESIDENT HENRY D. MOYLE
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
I am sure, my brethren and sisters, that
we all appreciate the opportunity to lift
our hand to sustain President David O.
McKay as President of the Church, and
in so doing we have in our hearts a
feeling of deep gratitude for the privi-
lege that is thus afforded us as members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints.
It is glorious to be a member. It is
glorious to have any office or calling in
the Church, no matter how relatively
humble the title may sound. I am im-
pressed constantly with the fact that,
regardless of our calling, we are all en-
couraged, we are all dedicated, and we
are all working in the service of the
Master. I am sure that we do not per-
mit our closeness to the work, we do
not permit the fact that we have such
ready access to our Father in heaven
through prayer to take our membership
in the Church lightly or to take our
callings in the Church lightly. We are
always conscious of his nearness to us
and the blessings which we receive in
answer to our prayers.
I am sure it would be more pleasing
GENERAL CONFERENCE
44
Saturday, September 30
to our Father in heaven to have us
resign our positions — and that is not a
practice which we commend in the
Church — but nonetheless it seems pre-
ferable to neglecting our duties in the
least detail. It gives us an awesome
feeling to realize that we are dedicated
to the work of the Lord, and having
thus committed ourselves, it is not our
privilege or our prerogative to violate
his commandments, even the slightest
of them. The Lord expects, and we
expect it of ourselves, each one of us,
to live out our lives here upon this
earth in as complete conformity to the
laws of God as we are capable. No
means of rationalizing, no means of
conjuring up excuses as to why we
should do this or should not do the
other, contrary to the will of our Heav-
enly Father, has any place in our lives.
I am grateful this morning that
throughout the world the work of the
Lord is progressing most satisfactorily,
indeed so satisfactorily that sometimes
we feel that we are hardly capable of
keeping up with the progress of the
Church.
In the mission field the Lord has
blessed us. I just want to give you
two figures. In the first nine months
of 1959 in the foreign or full-time mis-
sions of the Church, we had over 23,000
what we call convert baptisms, and in
the first eight months of 1961 we have
had over 54,000. We are constantly
asked why it is that this great increase
in converts should come about at this
particular time.
My first answer to that question would
be that the faithfulness and the devo-
tion of the Saints, their efforts to live
lives of righteousness, to dedicate their
lives to the principles of truth and right,
is of primary importance. We know
without any question of a doubt that
the blessings which descend upon us as
a people are directly commensurate with
our faithfulness, with our nearness to
our Heavenly Father. As we keep the
channel of communication between us
and our Father in heaven open, we can
expect to be blessed more abundantly
all the time.
In the second place, we cannot be
close to this missionary work without
being conscious of and without acknowl-
Second Day
edging the fact that the Lord has
touched the hearts of men all over the
world and has made them responsive
to the humble testimonies of the elders
as they go forth in the performance of
their duties as missionaries of the
Church of Jesus Christ in preaching the
gospel throughout the world.
Our approach, our initial contact
with our friends throughout the world,
is the simplest approach we know how
to make. Our lessons and their presenta-
tion are also direct and to the point.
This simplicity of our approach and
presentation of the gospel belies the
existence of any design or device or
scheme or contrivance or intrigue of any
kind by which unsuspecting investigators
might be brought in as members of the
Church without their really knowing
what they are doing or without their
having exercised an absolute free agency
of which President McKay spoke so
beautifully yesterday.
Let us stop and think for a moment
what a young missionary has to ac-
complish before he leads the convert
down into the waters of baptism. He
must first teach him the Word of Wis-
dom, and that means teach him in
practically all cases to give up practices
which have been lifelong and confirmed
and live virtually a new life and to have
the investigator commit himself to the
keeping of this commandment of the
Lord from the time of his baptism until
the Lord calls him home.
We ask him to reform his life with
reference to Sunday observance. We
teach him that Sunday — the Sabbath —
is a holy day. The Lord has prescribed
for his children what should and what
should not be done on the Sabbath day.
And here again the convert is required
to give up in many instances that weekly
activity toward which he has always
looked previously — a holiday, rather
than a day of worship.
We teach him the law of tithing as
revealed in these latter days by the
Lord to his children, something he has
been unaccustomed to in the past, and
here again it is obligatory upon the
missionary to commit his candidate for
baptism to a strict observance of the
law of tithing, accounting to the Lord
PRESIDENT HENRY D. MOYLE
45
for the rest of his life for a tenth of his
income, his increase.
Converts are taught to live worthy to
hold the priesthood of God. They are
taught from the beginning that after
their baptism they will be introduced
into the priesthood. They will have the
Aaronic Priesthood conferred upon them,
and later the Higher or the Melchizedek
Priesthood. In order to be worthy of
this progress and advancement in the
Church, they must be as strict as pos-
sible in keeping the laws and com-
mandments of God.
Then too, they are taught and told
and have impressed upon their minds
the fact that when they are once mem-
bers of the Church, they then have an
obligation to assist in promulgating the
gospel to their friends and neighbors.
In short, to be prepared to answer each
and every call of the priesthood made
of them, just as these fine men and
women who today have been called
into service have willingly responded.
Those who are being released and given
other positions accept the changes with
the same kind of loyalty and devotion
which they have previously extended to
the work.
When you take into consideration
these and many other unmentioned facts,
you have to stop and ask yourself the
question, "How can this nineteen-year-
old boy of mine or of yours go out into
a strange world, many of them to a
strange country, where a strange lan-
guage is spoken, and find almost of a
sudden that they are touching the lives
of total strangers in a manner which is
almost beyond comprehension and cer-
tainly beyond the power of man?"
Take these great reformers, these great
evangelists, who are able to draw,
through their publicity and otherwise,
great bodies of men and women. What
is their ultimate accomplishment? They
do not seek to change a man's way of
life. They are happy when they can
get the man or the woman to confess
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the
Living God, and when they have made
that confession, that is it. No organiza-
tions, no requirements, no obligations
of any kind I These are learned men —
men, I presume, as brilliant as any men
in the world. They are mature, and I
ask you to sit down and stop and think
occasionally when you have this mis-
sionary work on your mind as to the
difference between the results wrought
in the lives of converts to the Church
and converts to these great popular
movements, no matter how fine, how
elegant, how praiseworthy they may be.
You know, to me it is nothing short
of a miracle to have men and women,
mature, much older than the mission-
aries, submit themselves to these young
men to be baptized by them. That in-
volves a serious matter. The average
normal citizen, friend, would only do
that upon one foundation or one basis
and that is that they have received in
their hearts a testimony from God that
this young elder has the priesthood of
God conferred upon him by those who
have that authority to preach the gospel
and administer in its ordinances. Other-
wise, what they do would be a mockery.
It is not to be presumed that 54,000
people this year in all of the countries
of the world in which we have mis-
sionaries would have permitted them-
selves to go through this formality to
no good purpose. It takes some effort,
it takes a great deal of humility. Unless
they were convinced and converted to
the fact that there in this young mis-
sionary they had found the power of
God vested to administer in the sacred
ordinances of the gospel, they would
not do so.
It has interested me because in more
than one country this year the follow-
ing question has been raised more or
less officially. Can a nineteen-year-old
boy be a minister of the gospel? Are
we justified as a government to confer
upon him the benefits that inhere in
the status of a minister of the gospel?
And they say no. A nineteen-year-old
boy could not possibly be a minister
of the gospel. He has not studied. He
has not gone through school. He is
not mature.
Now, what does that mean? He is not
learned in the ways of man. If they
stop, as these 54,000 converts have
stopped, and reflected and prayed and
received an answer to their prayers,
they would know that the Lord is cap-
able of conferring blessings upon his
children here on the earth through a
GENERAL CONFERENCE
46
Saturday, September 30
nineteen-year-old boy as well as through
an older man, that one of the condi-
tions is not that he be steeped in the
learning of man, but that he is in tune
with the Spirit of our Heavenly Father.
I must not take too much time, but
I cannot sit down without giving you
one or two examples of what is going
on in the world today to indicate this
thought of mine that we are converting
by the Spirit, and the only virtue in
the plan which we have in use now
throughout the world is that it is the
simplest possible presentation of the
gospel that these great mission presidents
of ours have been able to work out in
the mission field, the least likely to
affect the minds or the reason of men —
so simple, in fact, that it cannot have
any effect upon men of the world unless
there is a higher power that touches
their hearts and brings conversion to
their souls.
I have become more and more con-
vinced in my association with missionary
work that most people are touched by
the Spirit of the Lord upon the occa-
sion of the missionary's first contact.
Otherwise, they would not invite the
missionary back time after time to be
taught the principles of the gospel and
to be brought closer and closer and
ultimately into the waters of baptism.
Brother Brossard tells us the story of
twenty-five conversions in France. Cer-
tainly there was no scheme that brought
these conversions about. There was an
army officer, a soldier, in Algeria, and
while he was there in the service of his
country, his wife had a baby, and it
died. It was not baptized in the church
of its parents, they believing in infant
baptism, and therefore the church de-
nied to that family a church funeral
service for the child. I will not go into
the details, but we had a friend of
Brother Brossard and the missionaries,
(and I guess they are friends to all of
us) who called the attention of this
distraught mother to the missionaries,
and they went in at the request of the
family and held the services, and these
twenty- five baptisms came as a result
of it, all from a single group. I was
looking for this figure because I do not
want to go beyond the facts, but this
group is much larger than the twenty-
Second Day
five, and the missionaries are now in
the process of teaching the gospel to the
rest of them, and President Brossard
assures us that the twenty-five is just a
small beginning to what will come
about out of this single instance.
Then we have the story of a mission-
ary who ran a red light, and by so doing
got the name and address of the traffic
officer and an invitation to visit him in
his home. The officer's penalty after
the missionary got through with him
was — what does the Good Book say? —
"Go thy way and sin no more."
We have the story of two missionaries
coming from Zollingen in Germany who
went to the mayor to give him a Book
of Mormon, made friends with him, and
on a rainy day, seeing them from his
limousine, the mayor called to them to
come over and get in the car. He
wanted to drive them to the City Coun-
cil and introduce them officially to that
august body.
And two missionaries in Hamburg,
Germany, went to the chief of police
to make themselves known and to tell
their story, and as a result he gave
them his card and said, "I want you
elders to feel free to call upon me at
any time in case you have any diffi-
culty, or there is any service we can
render you, and I will have my car
to you within five minutes."
These were all nineteen-year-old boys,
and I could go on and tell you of many
others. There was not anything those
boys could do or say of their own that
would bring about such miraculous re-
sults, but the first contact was enough
to open the door for future contacts.
That is the way the work of the Lord
goes on. Isn't it wonderful to realize
that the prophecies of old are being
fulfilled? How true it is that a stone
has been cut out of a mountain without
hands and is rolling forth and will fill
the earth. Almost every prophecy we
have in the Old and the New Testa-
ments concerning the latter days fits
into our program and furnishes us the
exact, the proper answer to this inquiry
as to the marvelous results accompany-
ing the work of our missionaries. They
work by and through the Spirit, and let
me say this to you mothers and fathers,
we love you, and we appreciate your
ELDER MARK E. PETERSEN
47
loyalty, and we appreciate your sons'
and your daughters' service. Have no
concern about your sons and daughters
in the mission field. It makes no dif-
ference who their mission president is.
As long as they are in the line of their
duty, encouraged by their parents so to
be, they are in the hands of the Lord,
and he has promised to take care of
them and is bound by those promises.
I can conceive of nothing more won-
derful in all the world than to have the
absolute assurance that the Spirit of
God is with your sons and daughters in
the mission field to preserve them, to
protect them, to inspire them, to per-
form a service that no one upon this
earth can perform unless he has the
delegated power from God to do so.
"And any man that shall go and
preach this gospel of the kingdom, and
fail not to continue faithful in all
things, shall not be weary in mind,
neither darkened, neither in body, limb,
nor joint; and a hair of his head shall
not fall to the ground unnoticed. And
they shall not go hungry, neither athirst.
"And whoso receiveth you, there I
will be also, for I will go before your
face. I will be on your right hand and
on your left, and my Spirit shall be in
your hearts, and mine angels round
about you, to bear you up." (D&C
84:80, 88.)
God bless us all and bless the mis-
sionaries. They are looking to us today
for guidance and direction and encour-
agement. Let us give it to them, I
pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
President Henry D. Moyle of the
First Presidency has just concluded
speaking. We shall now hear from El-
der Mark E. Petersen of the Council of
the Twelve.
ELDER MARK E. PETERSEN
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
It surely is a great inspiration to be here,
my brothers and sisters. I am grateful
that I had the opportunity with you of
raising my hand in sustaining the
officers presented here today. With all
my heart and soul I sustain the Presi-
dent of our Church, President David O.
McKay, as the prophet, seer, and
revelator of the Lord. With all my soul
I love him and honor him and am very
grateful for his leadership.
I am thankful for these men who have
been sustained with him. Our hearts
all go out to President Clark who is not
here; our faith and prayers likewise. I
am thankful for the great work that
President Moyle is doing. I am thank-
ful that President Brown has been called
to his position.
I am very grateful indeed that Gordon
Hinckley has been called into the
twelve. I have known Gordon most of
his life and a good part of mine. We
grew up together in the First Ward in
Liberty Stake. His father was our stake
president for much of the time. His
father was as close to me as my
own father nearly, and I loved him as
a father, and still do.
And I welcome these other brethren,
and these sisters, and I join with all of
you in wishing the very best for these
who have been released. I express sin-
cere appreciation for the remarkable
work they have done.
In one of the recent editions of the
US News and World Report, the editors
commented upon the trouble-making
propensities of Mr. Khrushchev. They
said that great as is the Berlin crisis, it
will not be our last one. There will be
others, and still others after that, be-
cause Mr. Khrushchev is determined to
cause turmoil wherever and whenever
he can. They branded him as a per-
sistent troublemaker, and said that he
seems to have no other purpose than
to cause unpleasantness, misery, and
contention.
The world is becoming more and
more resentful of the constant trouble-
making of this man. International
quarreling and bitterness are indeed
affecting the nerves of all mankind.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
48
Saturday, September 30
Inhuman treatment, the urge to take
advantage of others, cruelty, lying, mis-
representation, deceit, and dishonor are
sickening to the hearts of most people.
Every honest person condemns the
duplicity of Mr. Khrushchev. Everyone
resents his troublemaking, his un-
pleasantness, his inhumanity. It is so
deliberate, so coldly calculated. It
seems clearly evident that an evil spirit
motivates this man.
But let us stop for a moment and
think about that spirit. It is evil enough
in Khrushchev, and we are very prompt
in condemning it in him, and yet, how
do we regard that same spirit when it
appears in smaller circles and not upon
the broad stage of international politics?
How do we regard unpleasantness, con-
tention, deceit, misrepresentation, cruel-
ty, and dishonor in our communities
here at home, for instance? Or among
our immediate friends? Or in our office
or shop? Or even in our family circle?
Are these evil tactics any less despic-
able at home than on the world scene?
Are they any less evil if found in our-
selves than when exhibited by Mr.
Khrushchev? Is quarreling among na-
tions any worse than quarreling among
members of a family, except as to the
number of people involved? Is it any
worse for Khrushchev personally to
assail the President of the United States
than for a husband to be cruel to his
wife or child? Could our President be
any more offended by Khrushchev's in-
sults than a wife who is insulted and
humiliated by a thoughtless or vicious
husband?
Most of us hate Mr. Khrushchev's
wickedness, but do we excuse similar
traits of character when found in our-
selves? Let me read from a letter I
received recently.
"I am writing to ask if there is some
way you can help me. My husband
and I were married a little over ten
years ago. For the first year we got
along all right, but when our first child
came my husband began to change. I
really believe he was jealous of the
attention I gave to my little infant
child. He was very upset when the
baby cried, especially at night. Once
he even slapped the tiny baby's face. I
ran to take the baby from him, and he
Second Day
struck me so hard that he knocked me
down.
"It has been like that in our home ever
since. We have not had a pleasant
hour in months. My husband never
smiles anymore. When he comes home
from work a spirit of gloom and hatred
comes into the house with him. My
little boy, now nearly nine, is afraid of
his dad and runs into the bedroom
whenever his father comes home. My
little girl whimpers at his sight. I have
reached the point where I feel I must
choose between my husband and my
peace of mind. The doctor says that if
I stay with him my children and I will
all be nervous wrecks. What do you
think we should do?"
Then I received this from a young
woman seventeen years of age. "I have
decided to run away from home. I
can't stand my father's cruelty any
longer. I have tried to get my mother
to leave home with me, but she won't.
She is superstitious about divorce and
would rather die than go through a
divorce court. Why must we have such
trouble in our home? I always thought
home was a place to enjoy."
A young woman came into my office
one day, and she was the saddest-looking
girl I have ever seen. She and her
mother did not get along well. They
had entirely different ideas on nearly
every subject. She said her mother
tries to run her life for her, tries to
make all of her decisions, chooses her
friends, and even decides what clothes
she should wear. This girl planned to
leave home to escape the constant
quarreling that goes on in that home.
I did not hear the mother's side of the
story, but I am sure she has one. It
takes two to make a quarrel.
When I think of the divorce prob-
lems which are prevalent in so many
homes, when I think of the conflict be-
tween parents and children, when I
hear inflammatory remarks from men
and women who should know better,
when I see the pugnacious attitude of
some who seem to enjoy being bullies
in their own homes, when I see how
man's inhumanity to man makes so
many others mourn even close about us,
I wonder if we really are a peace-loving
people.
ELDER MARK E. PETERSEN
49
I wonder how much we Americans
really believe in the teachings of the
Prince of Peace. I almost wonder if we
believe more in the troublemaking
philosophy of Khrushchev than we do
in the peace philosophy of Christ.
We are supposed to be a Christian
nation. Then why don't we act as
Christians should? Why do so many
act more like Khrushchev than they do
like Christ? If we profess to believe
in the teachings of Jesus, why don't we
obey them? Do we think professions
are enough? Must we only pretend to
be Christians?
Are the works of Christianity no
longer important? Do we really believe
Jesus when he said, "Blessed are the
peacemakers"? (Matt. 5:9.) If we do,
then why do we not do more to establish
peace in our own personal circles, in
our relationships with our wives and
husbands and children? Why don't we
plan for and promote courtesy, love, and
kindness in our homes? Is family ten-
sion any more to be desired than world
tension? Must we have either or both?
Is an evil dictator any worse in a
nation than in a family, so far as the
affected people are concerned?
Is it a sign of strength to be quarrel-
some and unpleasant? Does might
make right in a nation or in a shop or
in a family? Are any of us so blind
that we think that one member of the
family can always be right and nobody
else? Can we be so deceived by our
egotism that we suppose that like the
king we can do no wrong, that we can
be domineering and tyrannical in our
own little circle with impunity?
If you quarrel with your wife, have
you thought that you might be moti-
vated by the same spirit which moves
Khrushchev when he quarrels with the
President of the United States?
If you are contentious in your family,
or quarrelsome with your neighbors, or
even with your brethren and sisters in
the Church, have you thought that you
might be motivated by the same spirit
which also moves Khrushchev? How
different from him are we if the same
evil spirit motivates us both?
When the Savior came among the
Nephites after his resurrection in Pales-
tine, he taught these early Americans a
most important lesson on this point.
Said he: ". . . there shall be no disputa-
tions among you, as there have hitherto
been;
". . . he that hath the spirit of con-
tention is not of me, but is of the devil,
who is the father of contention, and he
stirreth up the hearts of men to contend
with anger, one with another.
"Behold, this is not my doctrine, to
stir up the hearts of men with anger,
one against another; but this is my doc-
trine, that such things should be done
away." (3 Nephi 11:28-30.)
Let us think seriously about that
scripture: the spirit of contention is the
spirit of the devil, who is the father of
contention! Can we suppose that any
of us can do the work of Christ if we
have the spirit of contention in our
hearts or in our homes? Can we do the
work of God by the spirit of the devil?
We are engaged in the Lord's work.
Then we should be guided by the Spirit
of the Lord and not by some contrary
spirit. We should not invite into our
homes the spirit of Satan himself by
engaging in family quarrels, contention,
and arguments.
No one needs to be grouchy. No one
needs to be unpleasant. Everyone can
control his emotions if he wants to, just
as he can control his appetites.
People can be kind if they want to
be kind. They can be considerate if
they want to be. They can be peace-
ful if they would but try. They can be
thoughtful and considerate of others
if they but have the desire. Why even
Khrushchev can smile and polish apples
when he wants to.
If we expect to do the work of Christ,
let us follow the Savior's teachings.
He is the Prince of Peace. Then
should we not be peacemakers?
He is the Author of mercy. Then
should we not be merciful?
He is the personification of love. Then
should we not practise the principles of
love which he gave us?
How can we forget the words of
Paul?
"Though I speak with the tongues of
men and of angels, and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass, or
a tinkling cymbal.
"Charity never faileth: . . .
50
Saturday, September 30
"And now abideth faith, hope, char-
ity, these three; but the greatest of
these is charity." (1 Cor. 13:1, 8, 13.)
And what is charity? It is the pure
love of Christ. Has it any place in our
lives? In our homes? In our family
circles?
Do we have love at home? If we are
without it, are we truly practising our
religion? What qualifies us as followers
of Christ? The Lord gave the answer
to the Prophet Joseph Smith in these
words:
"And faith, hope, charity and love,
. . . qualify him for the work." (D&C
4:5.) Then he added temperance,
patience, brotherly kindness, godliness,
humility. Is there any godliness in
a family quarrel? Or any kindness or
charity or mercy?
Eliminate unkindness from the homes
of America and we will pretty well
eliminate divorce from this land.
In this day of trouble it ill becomes
any of us to pattern our lives and our
habits after the arch troublemaker of
the world. He is contentious, he is
quarrelsome, he is bitter, he is cruel. Do
we want to be like him?
Is it not better to remember our own
religion and develop without ourselves
the spirit of love and kindness and
mercy? Isn't it better to have love at
home than a house full of bitterness,
quarreling, and broken hearts?
Isn't there room for courtesy and
consideration in our homes? Should
not a man be as courteous to his wife
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
after marriage — ten years, twenty years
after marriage — as he was during his
courting days?
Should we not learn to love our
neighbor as ourselves, and is not wife
or husband our closest neighbor?
Should not the spirit of prayer, the
Spirit of God, pervade our homes instead
of the spirit of bitterness and strife?
Ask yourself what spirit is in your
home, and ask yourself whose path you
wish to follow. Will it be that of
Khrushchev, or of Christ?
God give us the wisdom and the
courage to be kind, I pray in Jesus'
name. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Mark E. Petersen of the Council
of the Twelve has just addressed us.
The University of Utah Mixed Chorus
and Congregation will now sing, "Praise
To The Man Who Communed With
Jehovah," directed by Ardean W. Watts.
After the singing, Elder Alvin R.
Dyer will address us.
The Congregation and the Chorus
joined in singing the hymn, "Praise
To The Man Who Communed With
Jehovah."
President David O. McKay:
Elder Alvin R. Dyer, Assistant to the
Twelve, and president of the European
Mission, will now speak to us.
ELDER ALVIN R. DYER
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
I feel, my brethren and sisters, to be
at one with that which has been accom-
plished here this day to honor those
who have been released from their
callings and to hail those who have
received a new responsibility.
I feel grateful to the First Presidency
for the privilege of coming to this con-
ference. I need the strength, I need the
association of the brethren, and I need
to look into your faces and to see there
the love of the gospel and the faith
manifested, wbich enables me to go
forth in my responsibility to a greater
degree.
I have felt since the opening and
challenging remarks of President McKay
that if a phrase could be given to set
the theme of this conference, and I am
not trying to set it, but to me it is some-
thing like this, that we should put on
the whole armor of God and be prepared
for the important days that are ahead
of us. And if perchance we have not
put on the whole armor, then we now
bave this challenge again from our
ELDER ALVIN R. DYER
51
prophet that we place upon ourselves
a renewed determination to fortify our-
selves with the powers and the callings
that have come to us to go forth and
accomplish the work which the Lord
has given us to do.
I am grateful for the faith and prayers
of the members, for the authority of the
priesthood that has extended peace in
the earth, at least to the extent that we
now feel it, so that the great work which
the Lord has caused to be restored upon
the earth can continue. I felt in the
organization of Berlin Stake that the
power of the priesthood in a measure
could forestall and prevent the unjust
dominion that could prevent the work of
God going forth in these ancient lands
of Europe, and to be there and to feel
of this spirit and power was indeed a
great experience.
The work continues to progress in
Europe to keep pace with the rest of the
Church, and for this we are grateful.
Many thousands of wonderful people
are accepting the gospel in these ancient
lands. Many very prominent men and
women are answering the call that has
come to them through the efforts of the
missionaries, and in the gospel net we
are finding men of great influence and
importance as well as those of the
ordinary walks of life.
As I looked into the face of a very
renowned architect from Munich just
a few days ago, a man who has gained
world recognition in papers that he has
prepared in his profession, I said, "I
would ask you but one question," (he
has been a member of the Church only
a month,) "do you believe that God
actually talked to the Prophet Joseph
Smith and that he introduced to him his
Son?" He said, "Yes, I believe that with
all my heart, and I believe more, and I
want to serve."
This is typical of the many thousands
who are accepting the gospel and who
want to serve their Heavenly Father.
We are living in a tremendous age,
my brethren and sisters. It is a day of
great progress, of change, of rapid ad-
vance. The very structure of our civi-
lization, social, political, commercial,
moral, and religious is greatly affected
by that which persists before our eyes
this day. There can be no question that
a new era has dawned upon our planet.
Means of travel, trade, association, and
intercommunication between countries,
even comparatively unknown, is before
us. But while in almost every field of
science, every art is being developed
while the mind is awakened to new
thought, yet religious knowledge in the
world is at a standstill. The creed of the
fathers cast in the mold of other ages
shows no progress to match the onward
strides of man.
I am indebted to Brother Ezra Taft
Benson for an article which he sent to
me, which typifies in measure the failure
of the powers of Christendom to attract
their members to the churches in Eu-
rope. In Denmark, for example, less
than one-half of one percent of the
population retains any active church
connection. Sweden is a little better.
In one Swedish parish, says Russell Kirk,
in a recent article in the The National
Review, a Swedish minister, after
preaching for five years, found only his
immediate friends and family attending
regularly.
The Church of England, though by
law established, obtains the active par-
ticipation of only five percent of the
English population. The English dis-
senting churches are in a worse plight.
Continuing this article, Russell Kirk has
this to say:
"What we are seeing rather is the
dropping away of most people into a
state of apathy and disbelief, though not
even the fervent disbelief of the village
atheist. A vague feeling that Christianity
does not profit a man in any material
way, and a vaguer conviction that some-
how religion is unscientific, seem to be
the approximate causes of this phenome-
na. Probably there is less religious belief
and less influence of churches upon the
civil-social order and upon the person
than in any other period in the history
of Europe."
I suppose in America we find this
same condition. Yet as we declare it,
and as fully predicted by the prophets
of God, the Spirit of God has been
poured out upon all mankind. As proof
of this I call your attention to the tre-
mendous strides that have been made in
the world since the restoration of the
gospel.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
52
Saturday, September 30
I remember as a young man sending
to a renowned encyclopaedic organiza-
tion a request for information of all
advancements that had been made since
the year 1820 in the fields of science,
and within a matter of several months,
I was flooded with information from
them to indicate the tremendous manner
in which the Spirit of God has rested
upon people since the day that Joseph
Smith walked into the Sacred Grove.
How tremendously in keeping with
his will that such enlightment upon
man should come as the result of a
restoration of truth and the very pres-
ence of God, but that which man
participates in today in a scientific way
is only the minute, is only a fragmentary
part of the light that has shone into
the darkness, that brings to man by
divine intervention the truths of the
eternal law of salvation, which if ap-
propriated can lead to eternal life in
the presence of God.
I have always felt impressed by an
article which appeared in one of our
Church publications some few years
ago that told of a newspaper reporter
who left New York to go to Nauvoo,
Illinois, in the year 1842, and after
spending considerable time there and
after meeting the Prophet Joseph Smith,
he returned to New York to have pub-
lished in the New York Herald in that
year this article concerning Joseph
Smith. I quote:
"Joseph Smith is undoubtedly one of
the greatest characters of the age. In
the present infidel, irreligious, ideological
age of the world, some such singular
prophet as Joseph Smith is required to
preserve the principles of faith and to
plant some new germs of civilization
that will come to maturity in the years
that are ahead, while modern philoso-
phy which believes in nothing but what
you can touch is overspreading the
Atlantic States in America, Joseph Smith
is creating a spiritual system combined
also with morals and industry that will
change the destiny of the race." (George
Q. Cannon, Life of Joseph Smith,
p. 324.)
Joseph Smith under the direction of
God did establish this system; a system
of divine truth made possible by divine
bestowal from holy messengers and by
Second Day
revelations which provide guidance and
direction, and this as revealed to Joseph
Smith is for the specific purpose, as
referred to in the Doctrine and
Covenants, ". . . that every man might
speak in the name of God the Lord,
even the Savior of the world;
"That faith also might increase in
the earth;
"That mine everlasting covenant
might be established;
"That the fulness of my gospel might
be proclaimed by the weak and the
simple unto the ends of the world, and
before kings and rulers."(D&C 1:20-23.)
Obedient to the predictions of this
day and age and by all of the holy
prophets, it is not religious opinion
which will cover the earth, nor knowl-
edge from scientific advancement reach-
ing into the hearts of every good man
and woman, but it is faith, leading to
the testimony and spiritual conviction
of God that is needed, for God is truth
and to know him is to know the truth.
Never, I suppose, have there been so
many brilliantly intellectual people
upon the earth, judged by the known
facts of the sciences and of human
knowledge, and yet there is a tremendous
lack of direction among mankind. Re-
cently, Eric Johnston made the state-
ment that ninety percent of all the
scientists who ever lived are living
today, and the total accumulation of
scientific knowledge is doubling every
ten years, and yet there is a tremendous
lack of direction in spiritual things
which undoubtedly is contributing to
the failure of people to attend churches
and to be benefited by the teachings of
their own faith.
Recently one of our inquiring think-
ers, a noted American mental health
leader, Dr. Karl Menninger, made this
statement:
"Most people today live without pur-
pose and without significance. They
have no articulate philosophy. They do
not live within any frame of reference."
It is obvious that the lack of direction
lies principally in the failure of people
to have a true understanding of God
and his purposes. To get this it must
come from the expressed will of God
through a prophet, yes, a prophet here
today upon the earth as the oracle of
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
53
God, and not from concepts of a musty
and deceptive antiquity, nor from a so-
called age of reason imposed upon us
because of scientific exploration.
Here, my brethren and sisters, is
reality. Honest and good men must
come to know this, must adjust to it,
welcome it, and meet it as a friend and
know that it is God's will. And for
this reason these young men that Presi-
dent Moyle spoke of, and others with
them, go to the ends of the earth to
proclaim this great message, that is for
the restoring of a knowledge and under-
standing of God and of the meaning and
the purpose of life here upon the earth.
God has spoken to us. Let us listen
to his oracles and have unveiled to us
the realms of eternal life.
I cannot help saying a few words
about the powers of unjust dominion.
I have appreciated the remarks of
Brother Mark E. Petersen concerning
this, but there is an evil force that is
contemporary with the powers of right-
eousness that will bring release and joy
to the individual, and we see the power
of this unrighteous dominion as it is
now being brought to bear upon the
peoples of subjected countries. I have
witnessed it. I have looked into the
faces of those who are being imposed
with this force.
We had the experience in the organi-
zation of the Berlin Stake of placing in
the high council of that stake a man
who only a few weeks before had been
with his wife in East Berlin. Upon a
certain day he left East Berlin to go
to West Berlin to visit friends, leaving
his wife in their home. While he was
visiting his friends, the barricade was
erected, and he was unable to return to
his wife, and she unable to come to
him. Yet he accepted this calling and
responsibility and said he felt that in
the wisdom of God, things would be
righted.
But we see here the effects of the
unjust and unrighteous dominion upon
the rights of the people.
I shook hands with a brother from
East Berlin who had had an accident
in his work, that is, I shook his left
hand because he came to the Berlin
Stake conference with an amputation
of his right hand, and for this reason
and this reason alone, he and his wife
and his two children were in West
Berlin caring for this injury, as I shook
his hand he said, "I would gladly give
even the other hand, if that had been
necessary, to place my family and myself
here under the protective custody of this
part of Berlin."
I bear testimony, my brethren and
sisters, to the power of the gospel of
Jesus Christ in the lives of people, that
it brings release to them, that it brings
inward joy and peace, and I pray that
the powers of righteousness will con-
tinue in the earth that the great work
that is occurring in these ancient lands
of Europe and in lands all over the
world, may continue, that righteous men
and women by the thousands may listen
to the call of the gospel and come in
and be numbered among the children
of our Heavenly Father, and I bear my
testimony to you of the truth of this
message in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
President David O. McKay:
He to whom we have just listened is
Elder Alvin R. Dyer, Assistant to the
Twelve, and at present president of the
European Mission.
The University of Utah Mixed Chorus
will now favor us with, "All People That
On Earth Do Dwell," conducted by
Ardean W. Watts. The benediction will
be offered by Voyle L. Munson, presi-
dent of the Wayne Stake, after which
this Conference will be adjourned until
two o'clock this afternoon.
We thank the singers this morning.
We welcome them as they join this af-
ternoon in the chorus and strings from
the University and the representatives,
too, of our Institute at the University.
The Mixed Chorus wil be led by Ar-
dean W. Watts, and Frank W. Asper is
at the organ: "All People That On
Earth Do Dwell."
Singing by the University of Utah
Mixed Chorus, "All People That On
Earth Do Dwell."
The closing prayer was offered by
Elder Voyle L. Monson, president of the
Wayne Stake.
Conference adjourned until 2 o'clock
p.m.
SECOND DAY
AFTERNOON MEETING
Conference reconvened Saturday after-
noon, September 30 at 2:00 p.m.
President David O. McKay, who pre-
sided and conducted the services, an-
nounced that the choral music for this
session of the Conference would be
furnished by the University of Utah
Institute of Religion, University Stake
Chorus and the Bonneville Strings,
David A. Shand Director.
President David O. McKay:
The following telegram was just re-
ceived: "The missionaries and members
of the East Central States Mission send
greetings and love to you for a successful
Conference. President and Mrs. Frank
H. Brown."
We wish to welcome Mr. James E.
Webb, Director of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration,
Washington, D. C, who is attending
this Conference as the guest of Congress-
man David S. King. He is in Utah
inspecting missile plants in northern
Utah.
You will be pleased that we are fav-
ored this afternoon by the singers of
the University of Utah Institute of
Religion, University Stake Chorus, and
the Bonneville Strings, under the direc-
tion of Professor David Austin Shand,
with Alexander Schreiner at the organ.
We shall begin these services by the
Combined Choral Groups singing, "The
Lord's Prayer." The invocation will be
offered by Elder H. Loren Allen, presi-
dent of the Mesa Stake.
Singing by the Chorus, "The Lord's
Prayer."
Elder H. Loren Allen, president of
the Mesa Stake, offered the invocation.
President David O. McKay:
The University of Utah Institute of
Religion, University Stake Chorus, and
the Bonneville Strings will now favor us
with, "Prayer Is The Soul's Sincere
Desire." David Austin Shand is con-
ducting, Brother Alexander Schreiner is
at the organ. After the singing we
shall hear from Elder William J. Critch-
low, Jr.
Singing by the Chorus, with Bonne-
ville Strings and organ accompaniment,
(Alexander Schreiner at the organ)
"Prayer Is The Soul's Sincere Desire."
President David O. McKay:
Our first speaker this afternoon is
Elder William J. Critchlow, Jr., Assist-
ant to the Twleve. He wil be followed
by Elder Marion G. Romney of the
Council of the Twelve.
ELDER WILLIAM J. CRITCHLOW, JR.
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
Forty-two hundred years ago or there-
about, there arrived upon this Ameri-
can continent a company of people
under the leadership of one Jared and
his brother. They came out of the val-
ley of Mesopotamia where the Tower of
Babel was under construction. Our
Lord initiated and prospered them in
their migration, and upon arrival, he
"swore unto the brother of Jared, that
whoso should possess this land of prom-
ise, from that time henceforth and for-
ever, should serve him, the true and
only God, or they should be swept off
when the fulness of his wrath should
come upon them." (Ether 2:8.)
Sixteen hundred years later, our Lord
initiated and prospered another mi-
gration of people to this continent. They
fled from Jerusalem to escape a Baby-
lonian conquest. Upon arrival the Lord
counseled them through his Prophet
Lehi, their leader, as follows:
". . . Inasmuch as ye shall keep my
ELDER WILLIAM J. CRITCHLOW, JR.
55
commandments ye shall prosper in the
land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep
my commandments ye shall be cut off
from my presence." (2 Nephi 1:20.)
Four hundred years later, these people
of Lehi discovered a colony of people
who had also fled from Jerusalem to es-
cape the Babylonians, about 600 BC.
Mulek, son of the Jewish King Zede-
kiah, was a royal member of this fleeing
party. The people of Lehi and the newly
discovered people of Mulek united and
dwelt together, and to them the Lord
repeated his promise and warning. His
prophet, King Benjamin, uttered it from
a tower:
"... he [our Lord] has promised you
that if ye would keep his command-
ments ye should prosper in the land; and
he never doth vary from that which he
hath said; therefore, if ye keep his com-
mandments he doth bless and prosper
you." (Mosiah 2:22.)
These promises and warnings to the
people of Jared, Lehi, and Mulek were
directed to and for the benefit of the
people who lived in the days of those
prophets who gave them utterance; in
other words, they were for local con-
sumption. They were also engraved on
metal plates, which the prophets pre-
served for the benefit of rising genera-
tions. When our Lord's prophet, Mor-
mon, abridged those records about 324
AD, the great Jaredite nation, once
numerous, prosperous, and cultured, had
become extinct. They failed to heed the
warning and were "swept off when the
fulness of his wrath" came upon them
(Ether 2:9); they had "ripened in in-
iquity." The great Nephite nation, at
one time the more righteous of Lehi's
descendants, had also "ripened in in-
iquity" and had similarly become ex-
tinct. Our Lord again had kept his pro-
mise: "They shall be swept off when the
fulness of his wrath shall come upon
them." (Idem.)
In the destruction of these unright-
eous people, our Lord preserved the re-
cords containing his promises and warn-
ings. He had them hid up, then 1,400
years later he had them brought forth
to warn the inhabitants of this land
that they also must keep his command-
ments, lest they be "swept off when the
fulness of his wrath . . . come upon
them." Obviously, Mormon's abridgment
was written to us. The title page of the
abridgment, known as the Book of
Mormon, says it was "Written to. . .
the . . . Gentile — Written by way of
commandment . . . Written and sealed
up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they
might not be destroyed — To come forth
... in due time by way of the Gentile."
Incidentally, may I add, the title page is
a part of the abridgment and not the
composition of Joseph Smith. (DHC
1:71.)
The great Prophet Moroni, son of
Mormon, hid up the records, but be-
fore doing so he added a terse warning
all his own — and he specifically directed
it to those into whose hands the records
would subsequently come. He called
them Gentiles.
"And this cometh unto you, O ye
Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees
of God — that ye may repent, and not
continue in your iniquities until the
fulness come, that ye may not bring
down the fulness of the wrath of God
upon you as the inhabitants of the land
have hitherto done." (Ether 2:11.)
Who are the gentiles of whom this
prophet spoke? President Joseph Field-
ing Smith said: ". . . We are of the
Gentiles! By this I mean that the Latter-
day Saints have come to their blessings
through the Gentile nations. President
Brigham Young . . . said that Joseph
Smith was a pure Ephraimite. This is
true, yet Joseph came also of Gentile
lineage. So do most all members of the
Church." (The Way to Perfection, p.
140.)
The prophecies which I have quoted —
"written to the Lamanites . . .and also to
Jew and Gentile" — are repeated in
greater or lesser detail thirty-eight times
in the Book of Mormon. Count them as
you read it. One student did and came
up with that total, thirty-eight. Surely,
they constitute one of the great mess-
ages of that book.
Three times within the past year or
so, I visited in stakes where I found the
memberships fasting and praying for
moisture. And three times before I
left those stakes I saw their prayers
answered. I must tell you about one of
those visits.
I found the members fasting with
special prayers — Saturday noon until
Sunday noon — for much needed storms.
56 GENERAL CONFERENCE
Saturday, September 30 Second Day
Arising Sunday morning, after our to herald one stake's failings to another;
Saturday prayers, we were cheered by a each has its own. Let each insert its own
beautiful light covering of snow. It percentages, they will differ only in de-
continued to snow throughout the gree. The failings are a common fault,
morning. When we recessed for lunch, Brigham Young had something to say
the lawns around the meeting place about percentages:
were brilliant; several inches of heavy ". . . while six-tenths or three-fourths
wet snow blanketed them. Departing in of this people will keep the command-
the late afternoon, I said to the stake ments of God, the curse and judgments
president: "Our prayers are answered." of the Almighty will never come upon
"Yes," he replied, "but Elder Critch- them, though we will have the trials of
low, we need so much more!" various kinds, and the elements to con-
"How much more do you deserve?" tend with." (JD 10:335-6.)
I asked. My reply puzzled him — his We live in a wicked world like unto
silence invited me to explain: Babylon of old. Our latter-day prophets,
"At noon," I began, "when we re- like the prophets of old, have cried,
cessed the conference, nearly all of the "Come out, come out of Babylon."
congregation departed for their homes, To come out physically presents a prob-
where 1 suppose they broke their fast. lem, but spiritually it is possible, and
Many failed to return to the afternoon spiritually we must come out if we
session — because of the storm. Well, it are to prosper in the land,
may have been because I was the after- We come out spiritually when we
noon speaker. Nevertheless, they should pay honestly our tithes and offerings,
have returned. I'm sure the storm didn't We come out spiritually when we at-
dampen their spirits — it must have lifted tend to our priesthood duties and attend
them — their prayers were answered." our priesthood, Sacrament, and stake
The stake president was disappointed conference meetings. These the members
with the attendance. I think Heavenly of the Church have been commanded to
Father was, too, and I think he cut his attend.
blessing short — at least the storm clouds Once in the dim, distant past, our
rolled on and away and a bright, hot Father's children turned from him. Has
afternoon sun quickly erased most of the it been so long that we have forgotten
evidence of his blessing. Maybe he gave how, at that time, he cleansed the earth
them all they deserved. "Only fifteen of wickedness with a flood? Has it been
percent of your stake membership re- so long that we have forgotten the
turned to the afternoon meeting," I warning: "And as it was in the days of
said, "and I have noted in your re- Noe, so shall it be also in the days of
ports that: the Son of man"? (Luke 17:26.) Have
"—only % of your members are we forgotten how God spared a city of
on the tithing records. righteous people, Enoch's people by
"—only % of your members at- translating them before the flood?
tend Sacrament meetings. In the great holocaust to come, the
" only % of your men attend earth will again be cleansed of wicked-
priesthood meetings. ness as ' l was in the days of Noah, and
«_o n ly % of your boys attend God may spare again a righteous people,
their meetings. six-tenths or three-fourths of this
"_onl y of your girls attend people will keep the commandments
their meetings vjoq.
"—only '....% of your sisters attend What are the commandments God
Relief Society meetings would have us keep? Three serve the
"_only % of your boys and subject of my theme. He has instructed
girls are married in the temple. us:
"—only % of your members re- 1- to attend stake conference.
ceive ward teaching visits. 2. to attend Sacrament meetings.
So much for blanks and percentages. 3. the priesthood bearers to attend
These are enough. For obvious reasons their priesthood meetings.
I left the percentages blank; no need to In the process of abridging the Neph-
herald our failings to the world; no need ite records, the great Prophet Mormon
ELDER MARK
paused to meditate on our Lord's min-
istry of nearly 1,000 years over the early
inhabitants of this continent, and he
expressed his reflections in an "edi-
torial" which he inserted in his abridg-
ment. He wrote:
"And thus we can behold how false,
and also the unsteadiness of the hearts
of the children of men; yea, we can see
that the Lord in his great infinite good-
ness doth bless and prosper those who
put their trust in him.
"Yea, and we may see at the very time
when he doth prosper his people, yea,
in the increase of their fields, their
flocks and their herds, and in gold, and
in silver, and in all manner of precious
things of every kind and art; sparing
their lives, and delivering them out of
the hands of their enemies; softening the
hearts of their enemies that they should
not declare wars against them; yea,
and in fine, doing all things for the
welfare and happiness of his people;
yea, then is the time that they do harden
their hearts, and do forget the Lord
their God, and do trample under their
feet the Holy One — yea, and this be-
cause of their ease, and their exceedingly
great prosperity.
"And thus we see that except the Lord
doth chasten his people with many
afflictions, yea, except he doth visit
J G. ROMNEY 57
them with death and with terror, and
with famine and with all manner of
pestilence, they will not remember him."
(Helaman 12:1-3.)
God loves us. He doesn't always love
the things we do.
"As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten: . . ." (Rev. 3:19.)
"Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you
whom I love, and whom I love I also
chasten that their sins may be forgiven,
for with chastisement I prepare a way
for their deliverance in all things. . . ."
(D&C 95:1.)
Perhaps, the elements may be a
little kindlier next year if we remember
him.
Perhaps we'll be a little more de-
serving next year if we remember him.
I so hope. I so pray. I leave you my
testimony: God lives and loves us. He
answers prayers, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
He who has just spoken is Elder Wil-
liam J. Critchlow, Jr., Assistant to the
Twelve. Our next speaker will be Elder
Marion G. Romney of the Council of
the Twelve. He will be followed by
Elder Thorpe B. Isaacson.
ELDER MARION G. ROMNEY
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
My brothers and sisters, I welcome
wholeheartedly into the councils of the
Church the brethren who have been
called to service this day. With equal
feeling, I express my appreciation for
the services of those who are retiring.
I would like to say a further word or
two to Brother Buehner and Bishop
Wirthlin. I first came to know Brother
Buehner in the early days of the welfare
program. He was then president of
Granite Stake. He rose immediately
to meet the challenges of that program.
While some others were dragging their
feet, he did a tremendous work in it,
and he has been carrying on ever since.
He knows how we love him.
More than thirty-five years ago, Bish-
op Wirthlin and I served together in a
seventies quorum. We loved him then.
We loved him later when he became
bishop of the ward in which we lived.
Our love increased when he became
president of Bonneville Stake. I apolo-
gize for the bad time I gave him while
I was a bishop, and he was president
of the stake. We loved him when he
came into the Presiding Bishopric, and
we still do. Joseph, we love you now
more than we ever did. The Lord loves
you. May his peace be with you.
While President McKay was talking
yesterday, these lines, written by Wil-
liam Cowper, came to mind. In them
I have substituted "faithful" for
"fearful":
GENERAL CONFERENCE
58
Saturday, September 30
"Ye 'faithful' Saints, fresh courage
take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
"His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower."
Since he spoke, I have been thinking
about the great challenge of peace and
hope which the President gave us at
the close of his opening address. It is
my opinion that the Latter-day Saints,
because of the knowledge they have
received in the revelations, are better
prepared to meet the perplexities of our
times than any other people. We know
more about the difficulties which are
coming, and we have the key to their
solution.
I suppose that most people have a
tendency to interpret their own exper-
iences and world affairs in the light of
certain standards which have become
fixed in their thinking. The fact that
the Lord Almighty will take care of his
people during these latter days of stress
and trial became fixed in my mind
very early.
As a child I lived in a land torn
by a devastating revolution. As the
contending forces pursued each other
back and forth through the country, I
became greatly disturbed and agitated.
Well do I remember when word came
that the rebels were marching on Chi-
huahua City from Ciudad Juarez to the
north and that the Federals were march-
ing on the same city from Torreon on
the south. My distress turned to fright
— in fact, to terror — when they met at
Casas Grandes, just ten miles away, and
the shooting began. Some of our more
adventuresome young men climbed to
the top of the Montezuma Mountain
where, through field glasses, they could
watch the fighting.
Through those stirring and never-
forgotten childhood experiences it was
difficult for me to understand this doc-
trine of peace in one's heart while there
was war in the land. But even then,
my fears were tempered somewhat as I
saw and listened to my sainted mother
Second Day
lull her babies to sleep. The words of
the songs she sang comforted me. Some
of them have been ringing in my mind
through all the years of the intervening
half century — these, for example, from
"Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah":
"When the earth begins to tremble,
Bid our fearful thoughts be still;
When thy judgments spread destruc-
tion,
Keep us safe on Zion's hill."
And these from Parley P. Pratt:
"Come, O thou King of kings!
We've waited long for thee,
With healing in thy wings
To set thy people free;
"Come, make an end to sin
And cleanse the earth by fire."
And from W. W. Phelps:
"In faith we'll rely on the arm of
Jehovah
To guide through these last days of
trouble and gloom;
And after the scourges and harvest are
over,
We'll rise with the just when the
Savior doth come."
As the years passed and I became ac-
quainted a little with the scriptures, I
learned that the brethren who had
written these beautiful lines of hope
and courage had learned from the reve-
lations that the Lord would take care
of his Saints through the calamities
which he foresaw and foretold. Nephi,
speaking of our days, said:
"For the time soon cometh that the
fulness of the wrath of God shall be
poured out upon all the children of
men; for he will not suffer that the
wicked shall destroy the righteous.
"Wherefore, he will preserve the
righteous by his power, even if it so be
that the fulness of his wrath must come,
and the righteous be preserved, even
unto the destruction of their enemies by
fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not
fear; for thus saith the prophet, they
shall be saved, even if it so be as by
fire." (1 Nephi 22:16-17.)
When the Lord gave by revelation
the preface to the Doctrine and Cove-
ELDER MARION G. ROMNEY
59
nants, he said that he was willing to
make the things he had revealed known
unto all flesh;
"For I am no respecter of persons, and
will that all men shall know that the
day speedily cometh; the hour is not
yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace
shall be taken from the earth, and the
devil shall have power over his own
dominion.
"And also the Lord shall have power
over his saints, and shall reign in their
midst, and shall come down in judgment
upon Idumea, or the world." (D&C
1:34-36.)
Jesus himself previewed our times
and the days to follow. As he stood be-
fore his disciples on the Mount of Olives,
they asked him concerning the destruc-
tion of Jerusalem and the signs of his
second coming. Replying, he told them
that this people (the generation among
whom he lived) shall be destroyed and
scattered among all nations ....
"But they shall be gathered again;
but they shall remain until the times of
the Gentiles be fulfilled.
"And in that day shall be heard of
wars and rumors of wars, and the whole
earth shall be in commotion, and men's
hearts shall fail them, . . .
"And the love of men shall wax cold,
and iniquity shall abound.
"And when the times of the Gentiles
is come in, a light shall break forth
among them that sit in darkness, and
it shall be the fulness of my gospel;
"But they receive it not; for they
perceive not the light, and they turn
their hearts from me because of the
precepts of men.
"And in that generation shall the
times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
"And there shall be men standing in
that generation, that shall not pass un-
til they shall see an overflowing scourge;
for a desolating sickness shall cover the
land.
"But my disciples shall stand in holy
places, and shall not be moved; but
among the wicked, men shall lift up
their voices and curse God and die.
"And there shall be earthquakes also
in divers places, and many desolations;
yet men will harden their hearts against
me, and they will take up the sword, one
against another, and they will kill one
another." (Ibid., 45:25-33; Italics
added.)
I -am convinced that if we have the
peace in our hearts the brethren have
been talking about, we must learn how
to preserve it in our hearts in the midst
of trouble and trial. I know that if we
lived the gospel, we would not have
war. We would have peace if enough
people lived the gospel, but for my single
self I do not expect them to do so. I do
not expect enough people to repent to
spare the world from serious trouble,
and I think the scriptures sustain this
conclusion. But I return to the Savior's
words. When he had made the above
quoted statement to his disciples, he
saw that they were troubled, and he
said to them:
". . . Be not troubled, for, when all
these things shall come to pass, ye may
know that the promises which have been
made unto you shall be fulfilled ....
"And it shall come to pass that he
that feareth me shall be looking forth
for the great day of the Lord to come,
even for the signs of the coming of the
Son of Man.
"And they shall see signs and wonders,
for they shall be shown forth in heavens
above, and in the earth beneath.
"And they shall behold blood, and
fire, and vapors of smoke.
"And before the day of the Lord shall
come, the sun shall be darkened, and
the moon be turned into blood, and the
stars fall from heaven.
"And the remnant shall be gathered
unto this place [Jerusalem] ;
"And then they shall look for me,
and, behold, I will come; and they shall
see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed
with power and great glory; with all
the holy angels; and he that watches
not for me shall be cut off . . . ."
And here is the key.
"And at that day, when I shall come
in my glory, shall the parable be ful-
filled which I spake concerning the ten
virgins.
"For they that are wise and have
received the truth, and have taken the
Holy Spirit for their guide, and have
not been deceived . . . shall not be hewn
down and cast into the fire, but shall
GENERAL CONFERENCE
60
Saturday, September 30
abide the day." (Ibid., 45:35, 39-44,
56-57.)
"They that are wise and have received
the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit
for their guide, and have not been de-
ceived." I think we are not safe be-
cause we say we intend to do what's
right. I think the people who are
safe are those who have taken the Holy
Spirit for their guide and have not been
deceived. These are they who shall
not be hewn down and cast into the
fire, but shall abide the day.
"The earth shall be given unto
them for an inheritance." This earth
isn't going to be inherited by our ene-
mies.
"The earth shall be given unto them
[who have 'taken the Holy Spirit for
their guide, and have not been de-
ceived'] for an inheritance; and they
shall multiply and wax strong, and their
children shall grow up without sin unto
salvation.
"For the Lord shall be in their midst,
and his glory shall be upon them, and
he will be their king and their law-
giver." (Ibid., 45:58-59.)
Now I think the Savior was talking
about the Holy Ghost when he said,
"those who have taken the Holy Spirit
for their guide." (Idem.) The Holy
Ghost is the spirit of truth. To have
the Holy Spirit with us as he speaks of it
here, and as I have now said what I
think it means, is to be guided by reve-
lation from heaven. I know that such
guidance can be had.
When the Prophet Joseph Smith
went to Washington — I believe it was
in 1839 — with Elias Higbee, he had
conferences with many of the statesmen
there — and many of the politicians also.
He had conferences with the President
of the United States. In one of them
Mr. Van Buren asked:
". . . wherein we differed in our reli-
gion from the other religions of the day.
Brother Joseph said we differed in mode
of baptism, and the gift of the Holy
Ghost by the laying on of hands. We
considered that all other considerations
were contained in the gift of the Holy
Ghost. . . ." (History of the Church,
vol. IV, p. 42.)
Now, we have the Holy Ghost.
Every one of us who are members of
Second Day
the Church has had hands laid upon our
heads, and we have been given, as far as
ordinance can give it, the gift of the
Holy Ghost. But, as I remember, when
I was confirmed, the Holy Ghost was
not directed to come to me; I was di-
rected to "Receive the Holy Ghost."
If I receive the Holy Ghost and follow
his guidance, I will be among those who
are protected and carried through these
troubled times. And so will you, and
so will every other soul who lives under
his direction.
Now, my brothers and sisters, we need
to seek that Spirit. We need to realize
that it is a real guide. The Lord has
given us several tests by which we may
know when we have that Spirit.
By revelation through the Prophet
Joseph, the Lord revealed to Oliver
Cowdery a very simple test. Oliver was
complaining because the Lord had with-
drawn from him the gift to translate
the Book of Mormon records. The Lord
said to him:
"Do not murmur, my son, for it is
wisdom in me that I have dealt with
you after this manner.
"Behold, you have not understood;
you have supposed that I would give
it unto you, when you took no thought
save it was to ask me.
"But, behold, I say unto you, that
you must study it out in your mind; then
you must ask me if it be right, and if
it is right I will cause that your bosom
shall burn within you; therefore, you
shall feel that it is right.
"But if it be not right you shall have
no such feelings, but you shall have a
stupor of thought . . . ." (D&C 9:6-9.)
Now, I tell you that you can make
every decision in your life correctly if
you can learn to follow the guidance of
the Holy Spirit. This you can do if
you will discipline yourself to yield your
own feelings to the promptings of the
Spirit. Study your problems and prayer-
fully make a decision. Then take that
decision and say to him, in a simple,
honest supplication, "Father, I want to
make the right decision. I want to do
the right thing. This is what I think
I should do; let me know if it is the
right course." Doing this, you can get
the burning in your bosom, if your de-
cision is right. If you do not get the
ELDER MARION G. ROMNEY
61
burning, then change your decision and
submit a new one. When you learn to
walk by the Spirit, you never need to
make a mistake. I know what it is to
have this burning witness. I know also
that there are other manifestations of
guidance by the Spirit.
I know, for example, what Enos was
talking about when he said, ". . . the
voice of the Lord came into my mind
again, . . ." He did not say it came
into his ear, but that it "came into my
mind again, saying: . . ." He had been
asking the Lord to bless his brethren,
the Nephites, as everyone who gets the
Spirit asks the Lord to bless his brethren
and his fellow men. ". . . the voice of
the Lord came into my mind again,
saying:" — and what the voice said is
most important — "I will visit thy breth-
ren according to their diligence in keep-
ing my commandments." (See Enos 10.)
I must terminate these remarks. But I
know what that voice is like, be-
cause I have had it come into my mind
and give me names when I have had
to select stake presidents. There is
nothing mysterious about it to people
who learn to be guided by the Spirit.
The voice of the Lord has come into my
mind, in sentences, in answer to prayer.
Now I know, brothers and sisters, that
we can be guided by the Spirit. I
counsel you to seek more diligently
through earnest prayer the guidance of
the Spirit. Learn to live your lives by
the guidance of the Spirit.
I think every Latter-day Saint ought
to go on his knees night and morning
in secret prayer. This is in addition to
family prayer, which we should also
have night and morning. I grew up in a
home where we had family prayers every
night and morning. A good time to
have the morning family prayer is just
before the morning meal. And a good
time for the evening prayer is just before
the evening meal. That is the way it
was done in my father's home.
In my wife's father's home prayer
was had just before the morning meal
and just before the family went to bed.
When my wife and I were married, we
decided that I would make all the
major decisions and she would make all
the minor decisions. I think that the
only major decision we've had to make
was when to have evening family
prayer. We have had it just before
the evening meal.
But what I am talking about now
is secret prayer. I have always been
thrilled with the statement of the Sav-
ior to his disciples that when they
prayed, they were not to
". . . do as the hypocrites, for they
love to pray, standing in the synagogues
and in the corners of the streets, that
they may be seen of men. Verily I say
unto you, they have their reward.
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter
into thy closet and when thou hast shut
thy door, pray to thy Father who is in
secret; and thy Father, who seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly." (3
Nephi 13:5-6.)
Oh, that's the way to pray to reach
the Lord — all alone, where you are
not fashioning prayers for the ears of
any mortal person. In secret prayer
you can kneel down and in the sincerity
of your heart pour out your soul to God
alone.
The path from man to God is prayer.
Do as the Book of Mormon prophets
advise: "Pray unto the Father with all
the energy of heart." (Moroni 7:48.)
The answer to such prayer is the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. The
key to happiness is to get the Spirit and
keep it. The right to get it we were given
when we were confirmed members of
this Church. Walk by it back into the
presence of God. So doing we will not
need to be put to flight by our troubles.
God bless you, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Marion G. Romney of the
Council of the Twelve has just con-
cluded speaking. Bishop Thorpe B.
Isaacson will be our next speaker.
62
Saturday, September 30
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
ELDER THORPE B. ISAACSON
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
President McKay, President Moyle, Pres-
ident Brown, President Smith, my
beloved brethren of the General Author-
ities, brothers and sisters: I had prepared
a talk that I thought would be fitting on
the subject of fasting, fast offerings, and
fast day, but I feel today that it would
not be appropriate. I would therefore
like to save this subject for another time.
I think there are times which come in
every man's life when he feels that he
is not quite up to the situation with
which he is confronted. This is one of
those times for me. I am sure you can
imagine and understand that I have
prayed diligently for the help of the
Lord, and I would like to ask you if you
will help me. I think it was fifteen
years ago at the October conference,
when the death of that great man,
Bishop Marvin O. Ashton, left a vacancy
in the Presiding Bishopric. At that
time I was called to the councils of the
Church to serve as second counselor to
Presiding Bishop LeGrand Richards,
whom I regard as one of God's noble
servants.
Then after some years, I was called
to serve as first counselor to another
choice man, Presiding Bishop Joseph L.
Wirthlin. In my humble opinion Bishop
Wirthlin is one of the hardest workers
I have ever known.
If anything, probably he worked too
hard. I have heard him say many
times, "No matter what the brethren ask
me to do, I will do it."
I would also like to say that Bishop
Carl W. Buehner has been a great
strength to both Bishop Wirthlin and
to me in the Presiding Bishopric.
Yesterday when President McKay
called us to his office and told us of our
release from the Presiding Bishopric,
he asked us how we felt. I am sure he
detected that we felt all right about it,
because we did feel all right about it.
This morning when you voted to give
us a vote of thanks as you released us,
I am sure that our hands went higher
than any others in the building. I con-
fess, President McKay, that I leaned
over to Bishop Wirthlin and said, "That
is the greatest relief I have had in fifteen
years." Then in about two minutes and
forty seconds, when the names of the
General Authorities were read, I nearly
stood up to ask whether they were being
read from the wrong sheet. When I
heard my name, it came as a bolt of
lightning to me. I did not know, nor
did I expect, nor did I desire such a
calling.
But talk about blessings! I haven't
the words to express the blessing it has
been for me to be associated with these
brethren; to visit in the wards and stakes
of the Church. A few weeks ago I went
to a stake where I had never been before.
I did not know those men, I had never
seen them. They were in far-off
Florida. But after being with them for
only two days, we embraced each other
as I left those choice men of that stake
presidency.
Can you imagine that kind of bless-
ing in any other work in the world?
I would not take anything for the won-
derful experiences I have had these last
fifteen years, although at times, of
course, the work was hard. I hope you
will always remember that none of these
brethren sought the positions they hold;
that every one of them is probably giv-
ing more than his physical energy would
normally permit. I have said to my
boys, "If there is any work that has to
be left undone, it must not be the work
of the Church."
I am so grateful to you brethren in
the wards and stakes who have made
us feel so good when we have come to
you. I have witnessed the blessings of
the Lord, and I have seen men change.
I know what it is for men to change. I
plead with all the senior members of
the Aaronic Priesthood whom I love very
deeply. I have seen many of them
change, because when you once catch
the Spirit that Elder Marion G. Romney
has been talking about, you are bound
to change, and you will always change
for the better. I know what the Spirit
of the Lord is, and I know what it is
not to have it. With all my heart, I
plead with you leaders to take good care
ELDER THORF
of the senior members of the Aaronic
Priesthood and not let those fine men
stay out there alone. They need and
deserve your help. They are good men.
I am one of those who believe the Lord
loves them. If you have a wayward
son, do you love him? Certainly you
do. Well then, what makes you think
the Lord does not love his sons who
might be a little wayward?
I plead with the senior members of
the Aaronic Priesthood to make them-
selves available for activity in the
Church. I know what it is to have the
Spirit of the Lord, and I know what it
is to receive inspiration. Without them,
we cannot function in this Church.
I ask you not to find fault with your
leaders. We are not perfect. We do
not profess to be. But we are trying to
live as close to the Lord as we know
how. I think when you allow someone
to find fault with your bishop or your
stake president or one of the General
Authorities, you ought to raise your
voice against such practice because that
person will be hurting himself more
than he is hurting anyone else.
My son called this morning and said,
"If you are released today, I do not
want you to feel bad, because we have
gone fifteen years without your close
association. We would like to have you
home a little bit." My daughter said,
"It will seem good to have you home
once in a while." They were both quite
happy this morning. But I am sure they
will be happy now, because I believe
the Lord will make it up to each of
them in some way. My wife has been
lonesome, of course, and she had looked
forward to my being home more. The
loyalty of my wife and family has in-
spired me through the years. Their
love has sustained me.
There is nothing in the world like
the gospel in the lives of men and
women. A short time ago I was riding
with a man who was not a member of
this Church. I asked him what his
faith was, and he said he didn't have
any particular faith. I said, "You do
belong to a church?"
He said, "Yes."
"What does your church do for you?"
He said, "Nothing."
: B. ISAACSON 63
I then said, "Do you attend church?"
"No."
"Well, what do you do for your
church?"
"Nothing." Then I thought when
he said the church had done nothing
for him, it was probably because he
had done nothing for the church.
Oh, how different we are! What
would we be without the Church? I
think all of us here would say that
everything we have and all that we
are that are worthwhile have come to us
because of the blessings of the Church
to our parents, our grandparents, and
our forebears. Life without the Church
would not be worth living.
I would like to thank many of
those who have assisted me in my
assignments in the Presiding Bishopric.
Brother Irvin Nelson takes care of these
grounds and lawns, which was one of
my assignments. I have never worried
about them because he has always
taken such pride in them. I would like
to thank Brother Samuel Bateman who
has been the head custodian of this
great building for so many years. He
has done a great work.
I would like to thank J. Frank Marble
and his staff of workers, my secretaries,
Darcey Wright of the Church Office
Building, our hospital administrators,
and our boards of trustees.
I thank Lee A. Palmer, David G.
Thomas, Henry G. Tempest, N. Keith
Carroll, and Ray L. White of our of-
fice. They have been wonderful in
helping us in our many assignments.
We pledge our wholehearted support
to the new Presiding Bishopric, Bishop
John H. Vandenberg and his counselors.
We know a little of the details with
which they will be confronted. We
pledge that we will help them with
every ounce of energy we have in pick-
ing up the loose ends and getting things
in order with as little delay as possible.
I bear my testimony and thank God
my Father for life. I have recognized
that he was kind enough to spare my
life when I had an illness recently. I
want to do that every day as long as he
will let me live. I thank you, my breth-
ren and sisters, for being so tolerant
with me. If I have offended any one
of you in any way, (because sometimes
GENERAL CONFERENCE
64
Saturday, September 30
I am quite blunt) I wouldn't want to
hurt you, and I ask your forgiveness.
I bear testimony to you that I love the
Lord. He has been so good to me
that I owe him everything. I know
that God lives, that he hears my prayers
and your prayers. I couldn't get along
a day if I could not go to him. One
of the most peaceful experiences in my
life is when I follow Elder Romney's
admonition, when I can find a spot
alone. I endorse that to you. It will
give you strength, peace, comfort, in-
spiration, and greater faith.
I bear testimony to you that I know
Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, as
I know President David O. McKay is
a prophet of God. There isn't a day
that I do not pray for President McKay
— a number of times, and for every one
of these General Authorities, with no
exception. I regard them as prophets
of God and servants of the Lord. Would
you ever want to speak unkindly about
a servant of the Lord? Not ever again,
if you ever have.
May the Lord bless us that we may
be strong and that we may move for-
ward with the Church. The Church is
growing fast, and if we want to keep
up we will have to do likewise.
Second Day
God bless you. May he watch over
us all and give us the strength and the
faith to do as he would have us do, I
humbly pray in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
We have just listened to Bishop
Thorpe B. Isaacson, recently released as
one of the Presiding Bishopric and sus-
tained this day as one of the Assistants
to the Twelve.
The combined choral groups and
congregation will now sing, "Come, O
Thou King of Kings," conducted by
David Austin Shand. After the singing
Elder LeGrand Richards will speak to
us.
The Combined Choral Groups and
the congregation joined in singing the
hymn, "Come, O Thou King of Kings."
President David O. McKay:
Our next speaker is Elder LeGrand
Richards of the Council of Twelve. He
will be followed by Elder Sill.
ELDER LEGRAND RICHARDS
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
I feel it a great honor and privilege, my
brethren and sisters, to have an oppor-
tunity of attending this conference with
you. I love the Saints of Zion. I thank
the Lord for my association with my
brethren of the General Authorities.
I think it would be appropriate today
if I should pay my tribute of love and
respect to Bishop Wirthlin and Bishop
Isaacson. As the Presiding Bishop of
the Church, I was privileged to select
counselors from all the priesthood of the
Church, and I selected them without
any duress or guidance, except the Spirit
of the Lord, and they were wonderful
counselors, and I love them and pray
the Lord always to be with and bless
them. I love Brother Buehner, too, and
I welcome these new men who have
been sustained today as General Au-
thorities. I am sure they will do a great
work.
I am very happy to know of the great
progress the Church is making in the
missionary field. I am sure we were
all thrilled this morning in hearing the
report given by President Moyle of the
great upsurge and increase in baptisms.
I think I have been a missionary nearly
all my life. When I was just a little
fellow, I remember attending a ward
meeting where two missionaries, return-
ing from the Southern States, gave their
report. I do not know whether they
said anything unusual or not, but if
they did not, the Lord did something
unusual for me, because when I left that
meeting I felt that I could have walked
to any mission field in the world, if I
had just had a call, and so I went home
ELDER
and got down on my knees and asked
the Lord to help me to live worthy to
go on a mission when I was old enough
to go.
Because of this desire, I used to carry
my little New Testament around with
me often and memorize scripture. I
have had a wonderful opportunity in
missionary work.
As many of you know, I have had the
privilege of filling four missions and
presiding over two and touring many
of them, and I have tested this Church
and its teachings in every way that I
think it can be tested, and my testimony
increases day by day, and I have never
found that its teachings were wanting in
any way.
The Lord has established his Church
according to the promises of the prophets
and according to the blueprint prepared
by him as contained in the Bible and in
the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine
and Covenants and the Pearl of Great
Price.
I could tell you some wonderful ex-
periences that I have had in meeting
people not of us; for instance, when I
was in Holland on my first mission in
the city of Utrecht, they had a seminar
where they taught young men to prepare
for the ministry, and they used to come
and attend our meetings, and then they
would remain sometimes for hours at
a time to ask questions, and we found
that they did not have the answers; for
instance, one of them said to me, "You
cannot prove that baptism should be by
immersion." I said, "Yes, I can."
"Well," he asked, "how?"
I said, "You have studied some Greek,
haven't you?" and he admitted that he
had, and I said, "What does the word
baptizo mean?"
He said, "Immerse."
I said, "Why don't you do it?"
Then he asked me this question. "Do
you think the Lord will hold us account-
able if we teach things that we know
are not in harmony with the Bible?"
"Well," I said, "I would rather let
the Apostle Paul answer that question,"
and I quoted what Paul said:
"But though we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached
ID RICHARDS 65
unto you, let him be accursed." (Gala-
tians 1:8.)
"Now," I said, "let your conscience
be your guide when you are teaching
things that you know are not in
harmony with the scriptures."
There was an article that appeared
some years ago in a pamphlet that
Brother Orson F. Whitney wrote, en-
titled, "The Strength of the Mormon
Position." This is a statement by a noted
member of the Catholic Church, and I
think it has something very important
in it that those of us interested in mis-
sionary work could well give a little
thought to, and I would like to read it
to you. He said:
"Many years ago a learned man,
a member of the Roman Catholic
Church, came to Utah and spoke from
the stand of the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
I became well-acquainted with him, and
we conversed freely and frankly. A
great scholar, with perhaps a dozen
languages at his tongue's end, he seemed
to know all about theology, law, lit-
erature, science, and philosophy. One
day he said to me: 'You Mormons are
all ignoramuses. You don't even know
the strength of your own position. It is
so strong that there is only one other
tenable in the whole Christian world,
and that is the position of the Catholic
Church. The issue is between Cath-
olicism and Mormonism. If we are
right, you are wrong; if you are right,
we are wrong; and that's all there is to
it. The Protestants haven't a leg to
stand on. For, if we are wrong, they
are wrong with us, since they were
a part of us and went out from us;
while if we are right, they are apostates
whom we cut off long ago. If we have
the apostolic succession from St. Peter,
as we claim, there was no need of
Joseph Smith and Mormonism; but if
we have not that succession, then such
a man as Joseph Smith was necessary,
and Mormonism's attitude is the only
consistent one. It is either the perpetu-
ation of the gospel from ancient times,
or the restoration of the gospel in latter
days.'" (A Marvelous Work and
a Wonder, LeGrand Richards, pp. 3-4.)
Now, if every Christian in the world
could accept that and then decide which
is right, we would just gather them in
66
Saturday, September 30
by the millions if they were willing to
obey the commandments. Some of them
are not, as you know, after they become
converted. We have thousands of peo-
ple converted to Mormonism who have
never had the courage yet to accept it,
but they believe that Joseph Smith was
a prophet of God.
This is only in harmony with the
scriptures. You remember what Paul
said: "One Lord, one faith, one bap-
tism," (Eph. 4:5) : in other words, one
Lord, one Church, and one baptism.
How could there be more than one
Church that God our Eternal Father
and his Son Jesus Christ could approve,
because they must not conflict with
each other, for surely the Lord cannot
be divided against himself? You know
what Jesus said, that a house divided
against itself cannot stand. So there
can only be one Church of Jesus Christ
in all the world.
That does not mean that all these
Protestant churches have no good in
them, when they teach people to pray
and they teach them to try to live right.
You and I could go out and organize
a Church. That is why we have hun-
dreds of them, because they are
churches of men, just like civic organ-
izations and other institutions organized
by men to help people to do things
that are worthwhile, but no man can
organize a church with divine authority
and power to bind on earth and it shall
be bound in heaven except they are
called by God the Eternal Father and
ordained to his priesthood. That is
what Jesus meant when he said to the
Council of the Twelve:
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you. . . ."
(John 15:16.)
". . . and whatsoever thou shalt bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven. . . ."
(Matthew 16:19.)
Ordinances performed, no matter if
there are thousands of churches, will not
be recognized in the heavens until God
has endowed that church with that
divine power to bind on earth, and it
shall be bound in heaven. Of course,
the Lord will reward all people for all
the good they do, but according to this
statement, it is either the perpetuation
of the gospel of Christ from his day or
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
it is a restoration of the gospel through
the Prophet Joseph Smith. That is why
we are not Catholics, and we are not
Protestants. We believe in a restoration
of the gospel.
If the Bible is true, it cannot be a
perpetuation of the gospel from the
days of Jesus Christ. I will just read
you one or two references. Here is one
from Paul:
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by our gathering together unto him.
"That ye be not soon shaken in mind,
or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor
by word, nor by letter as from us, as
that the day of Christ is at hand."
(2 Thess. 2:1-2.)
Now remember, this is long after
Jesus had gone to the Father and com-
pleted his earthly mission.
"Let no man deceive you by any
means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away
first. . . ." (Ibid., 2:3.)
Now, that means no perpetuation,
does it not, of the gospel, but a falling
away which would require a restoration?
One more statement from Paul:
"For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears;
"And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables." (2 Tim. 4:3-4.)
Then there are many more in the
scriptures such as Amos, where he says:
"Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord God, that I will send a famine in
the land, not a famine of bread, nor
a thirst for water, but of hearing the
words of the Lord:
"And they shall wander from sea to
sea, and from the north even to the
east, they shall run to and fro to seek
the word of the Lord, and shall not
find it." (Amos 8:11-12.)
Jesus said, ". . . seek and ye shall
find" (Matt. 7:7), and why could they
not find it? Because there was a famine
in the land for hearing the word of
God, and when the word of God can-
not be found anywhere, what does that
imply? It implies the need of a resto-
ration, does it not?
: So we come to that point.
ELDER LEGRAND RICHARDS
67
Peter is the one that they claim to
follow, and yet Peter, you remember,
in talking to those who put to death the
Christ, said:
"Repent ye therefore, and be con-
verted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall
come from the presence of the Lord.
"And he shall send Jesus Christ,
which before was preached unto you:
"Whom the heaven must receive until
the times of restitution of all things,
which God hath spoken by the mouth
of all his holy prophets since the world
began." (Acts 3:19-21.)
According to the Apostle Peter, there
had to come a falling away in order
that there could be a restitution. That
is just as simple as ABC.
I should not think it would be hard
for any Christian to recognize the fact
that the choice is between one of two
churches, and then if we turn to the
scriptures to determine which of the
two it is, there should be no difficulty
in reaching a correct decision.
We come again to the statement of
John when he was banished upon the
Isle of Patmos. You remember the
angel said:
". . . Come up hither, and I will shew
thee things which must be hereafter."
(Rev. 4:1.) And then he saw ". . . an-
other angel fly in the midst of heaven,
having the everlasting gospel" (ibid.,
14:6), that is the only gospel that can
save men, ". . . to preach unto them that
dwell on the earth, and to every nation
and kindred, and tongue, and people"
(Idem) indicating that no one in the
world would be in possession of that
everlasting gospel.
If the gospel were to endure from
the days of Christ, why should the
angel come? It seems incredible that
we have no report or account of angels
visiting the earth any more, and yet
angels are nothing more than servants
of the Lord. You remember how
Gabriel was sent to Zacharias to tell
him about how his wife Elizabeth
would have a son, and he would be
called John, and how the Angel Gabriel
came to Mary to tell her about the
wonderful thing the Lord had planned
for her. We do not read of any angels any
more among any of the churches, and I
wonder what the world thinks angels
really are. When we see them depicted
today, they have wings on them.
I would like to read you a few words
from Revelation 22:9. After John had
seen all the marvelous things that were
shown unto him by the angel, he fell
down to worship at his feet, and the
angel said unto him:
". . . See thou do it not: for I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren the
prophets, and of them which keep the
sayings of this book: worship God."
(Ibid., 22:9.)
In other words, when the "fellow-
servants, and of thy brethren the
prophets" leave this earth, that does not
mean that their work is completed, be-
cause the Lord rules in the heavens
above, and he rules upon the earth
beneath, and his servants are sent back
from time to time in order to work out
his program that his promises might be
fulfilled. As Jesus said:
"Verily I say unto you, This gen-
eration shall not pass away, till all be
fulfilled.
"Heaven and earth shall pass away:
but my words shall not pass away."
(Luke 21:32-33.)
There are so many statements in the
Bible that prove that there should be
a restoration of the everlasting gospel
before the promised second coming of
the Christ, that one could not possibly
believe in the Bible and believe in a
perpetuation of the truth.
I want to leave with you one other
thought that has impressed me greatly.
It is reported that one of our national
radio commentators made this state-
ment. He said he was asked what mes-
sage could be broadcast to the world
which would be considered greater than
any other message. He said, after giv-
ing it consideration, he decided that to
be able to say to the world that a man
who had lived upon this earth and died
had returned again with a message from
God would be the greatest message that
could be broadcast to the world. We
are the only people in the world that
have such a message as that.
We have even erected a great monu-
ment in the state of New York to the
honor of such a man, Moroni, who
came back with a message from God.
68
Saturday, September 30
Just think of all the messengers who
have come back in the "restitution of all
things" (Acts 3:21), as Peter promised
before Christ can come again. And who
were they? Angels. And who are
angels? Servants of the Lord, "fellow-
servants like unto thyself," as the angel
said to John when he went to kneel
down to worship him. (See Rev. 22:9.)
In closing, I would like to read the
testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith
and Sidney Rigdon, received in Hiram,
Ohio, on February 16, 1832, and I bear
you my testimony that this is true:
"And while we meditated upon these
things, the Lord touched the eyes of our
understandings and they were opened,
and the glory of the Lord shone round
about.
"And we beheld the glory of the Son,
on the right hand of the Father, and
received of his fulness;
"And saw the holy angels, and them
who are sanctified before his throne,
worshiping God, and the Lamb, who
worship him forever and ever.
"And now, after the many testimonies
which have been given of him, this is
the testimony, last of all, which we give
of him: That he lives!
"For we saw him, even on the right
hand of God; and we heard the voice
bearing record that he is the Only Be-
gotten of the Father —
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Dau
"That by him, and through him, and
of him, the worlds are and were created,
and the inhabitants thereof are begotten
sons and daughters unto God." (D&C
76:19-24.)
I thank God for the testimony in my
soul that I am his son and that Jesus is
my Elder Brother and that he is the
Creator of heaven and earth and that
he has revealed himself to the earth
in this day and that messengers have
returned with a message from God and
hence we have the greatest message
that could possibly be broadcast to this
world, and I bear you that witness in
the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
President David O. McKay:
He to whom you have just listened
is Elder LeGrand Richards of the Coun-
cil of the Twelve. Elder Sterling W.
Sill, Assistant to the Twelve, will now
speak to us. I am going to tell you
something. Brother Sill approached me
just before this meeting started and he
said he has one speech one minute long
and he has another fifteen minutes long.
He said, "You tell me which you want."
I believe, Brother Sill, we will take the
one minute.
Elder Benson will follow him.
ELDER STERLING W. SILL
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
My brothers and sisters, I appreciate
this semiannual privilege of having a
part with you in the general conference
of the Church.
Someone has said that the greatest
invention of all time took place at
Platea, 2,500 years ago, when an obscure
Greek perfected the process of marching
men in step. When it was discovered
that a great group of individuals could
co-ordinate their efforts and focus them
effectively upon a single objective, that
day civilization began.
The Master himself emphasized this
important ability when he said to his
disciples, "... if ye are not one ye are
not mine." (D&C 38:27.) Then the
greatest intelligence of heaven gave the
most important success formula ever
given, saying, "Follow me . . . ." (Matt.
4:19.) And every human soul must
finally be judged by how well he
obeys that single command.
May God help us I pray in Jesus'
name. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
I like a man who is true to his word!
Elder Ezra Taft Benson of the Council
of the Twelve will be our concluding
speaker.
ELDER EZRA TAFT BENSON
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
My brethren and sisters and friends, in
keeping with the spirit of the keynote
address of our beloved President, I de-
sire, if the Lord will bless me, to speak
to you about the American heritage of
freedom — a plan of God.
I direct my remarks particularly to the
men of America and more especially to
those in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, who hold the Holy
Priesthood of God.
Every member of the priesthood should
understand the divine plan designed by
the Lord to raise up the first free people
in modern times. Here is how scripture
says it was achieved:
First: Prophecy is abundant that God
deliberately kept the American continent
hidden until after the Holy Roman
Empire had been broken up and the
various nations had established them-
selves as independent kingdoms. Keeping
America hidden until this time was no
accident. (2 Nephi 1:6, 8.)
Second: At the proper time, God in-
spired Columbus to overcome almost in-
surmountable odds to discover America
and bring this rich new land to the
attention of the gentiles in Europe.
(1 Nephi 13:12; Admiral of the Ocean
Sea, by Dr. Samuel Eliot Morison,
pp. 46-47.)
Third: God revealed to his ancient
American prophets that shortly after the
discovery of America there would be
peoples in Europe who would desire to
escape the persecution and tyranny of
the Old World and flee to America.
(1 Nephi 13:13-16.)
Fourth: God told his prophets that the
kingdoms in Europe would try to exer-
cise dominion over the people who had
fled to America, but that in the wars for
independence the American settlers
would win. (This is a remarkable
prophecy in that 2,300 years before the
Revolutionary War was fought, God
through his prophets predicted who
would win it.) (Ibid., 13:16-19.)
Fifth: The prophets were told that in
the latter days when the gentiles came
to America they would establish it as a
land of liberty on which there would
be no kings. The Lord declared that he
would protect the land and whosoever
would try to establish kings either from
within or without would perish. (2 Ne-
phi 10:8-14.)
Sixth: Having declared America to be
a land of liberty, God undertook to raise
up a band of inspired and intelligent
leaders who could write a constitution of
liberty and establish the first free people
in modern times. The hand of God in
this undertaking is clearly indicated by
the Lord himself in a revelation to the
Prophet Joseph Smith in these words:
"... I established the Constitution of
this land, by the hands of wise men
whom I raised up unto this very pur-
pose " (D8cC 101:80.)
Seventh: God declared that the United
States Constitution was divinely inspired
for the specific purpose of eliminating
bondage and the violation of the rights
and protection which belongs to "all
flesh." (Ibid., 101:77-80.)
Eighth: God placed a mandate upon
his people to befriend and defend the
constitutional laws of the land and see
that the rights and privileges of all man-
kind are protected. He verified the decla-
ration of the founding fathers, that God
created all men free. He also warned
against those who would enact laws en-
croaching upon the sacred rights and
privileges of free men. He urged the
election of honest and wise leaders and
said that evil men and laws were of
Satan. (Ibid., 98:5-10.)
Ninth: God predicted through his pro-
phets that this great gentile nation,
raised up on the American continent in
the last days, would become the richest
and most powerful nation on the face of
the earth; even "above all other
nations." (See 1 Nephi 13:15, 30;
Ether 2:12.)
Tenth: Concerning the United States,
the Lord revealed to his prophets that its
greatest threat would be a vast, world-
wide "secret combination" which would
not only threaten the United States but
also seek to "overthrow the freedom of
GENERAL CONFERENCE
70
Saturday, September 30
all lands, nations, and countries."
(Ether 8:25.)
Eleventh: In connection with attack
on the United States, the Lord told the
Prophet Joseph Smith there would be an
attempt to overthrow the country by
destroying the Constitution. Joseph
Smith predicted that the time would
come when the Constitution would
hang, as it were, by a thread, and at
that time "this people will step forth
and save it from the threatened destruc-
tion." (Journal History, Brigham
Young's Speech, July 4, 1854.)
It is my conviction that the elders of
Israel, widely spread over the nation,
will at that crucial time successfully
rally the righteous of our country and
provide the necessary balance of strength
to save the institutions of constitutional
government.
Twelfth: The Lord revealed to the
Prophet Nephi that he established the
gentiles on this land to be a free people
forever, that if they were a righteous na-
tion and overcame the wickedness and
secret abominations which would arise
in their midst, they would inherit the
land forever. (1 Nephi 14:1-2.)
Thirteenth: But on the other hand, if
the gentiles on this land reject the word
of God and conspire to overthrow liberty
and the Constitution, then their doom
is fixed, and they ". . . shall be cut off
from among my people who are of the
covenant." (1 Nephi 14:6; 3 Nephi
21:11, 14, 21; D&C 84:114-115, 117.)
Fourteenth: The great destructive force
which was to be turned loose on the
earth and which the prophets for centu-
ries have been calling the "abomination
of desolation" is vividly described by
those who saw it in vision. Ours is the
first generation to realize how literally
these prophecies can be fulfilled now
that God, through science, has unlocked
the secret to thermonuclear reaction.
In the light of these prophecies there
should be no doubt in the mind of any
priesthood holder that the human family
is headed for trouble. There are rugged
days ahead. It is time for every man
who wishes to do his duty to get himself
prepared — physically, spiritually, and
psychologically — for the task which may
come at any time, as suddenly as the
whirlwind.
Second Day
Where do we stand today? All over
the world the light of freedom is being
diminished. Across whole continents
of the earth freedom is being totally
obliterated.
Never in recorded history has any
movement spread its power so far and
so fast as has socialistic-communism
in the last three decades. The facts are
not pleasant to review. Communist
leaders are jubilant with their success.
They are driving freedom back on almost
every front.
It is time, therefore, that every Ameri-
can, and especially every member of
the priesthood, become informed about
the aims, tactics, and schemes of social-
istic-communism. This becomes partic-
ularly important when it is realized that
communism is turning out to be the
earthly image of the plan which Satan
presented in the pre-existence. The
whole program of socialistic-communism
is essentially a war against God and the
plan of salvation — the very plan which
we fought to uphold during "the war
in heaven."
Up to now some members of the
Church have stood aloof, feeling that the
fight against socialistic-communism is
"controversial" and unrelated to the
mission of the Church or the work of the
Lord. But the President of the Church
in our day has made it clear that the
fight against atheistic communism is a
major challenge to the Church and every
member in it.
During the general conference of the
Church in October 1959, President
David O. McKay, in discussing the
threat of communism, referred to W.
Cleon Skousen's book, The Naked Com-
munist, and said, "I admonish everybody
to read that excellent book.'' He then
quoted the following from the flyleaf:
"The conflict between communism and
freedom is the problem of our time. It
overshadows all other problems."
The fight against godless communism
is a very real part of every man's duty
who holds the priesthood. It is the
fight against slavery, immorality, athe-
ism, terrorism, cruelty, barbarism, deceit,
and the destruction of human life
through a kind of tyranny unsurpassed
by anything in human history. Here is
a struggle against the evil, satanical
priestcraft of Lucifer. Truly it can be
ELDER EZRA TAFT BENSON
71
called, "a continuation of the war in
heaven."
In the war in heaven the devil ad-
vocated absolute eternal security at the
sacrifice of our freedom. Although there
is nothing more desirable to a Latter-day
Saint than eternal security in God's
presence, and although God knew, as
did we, that some of us would not
achieve this security if we were allowed
our freedom — yet the very God of heav-
en, who has more mercy than us all,
still decreed no guaranteed security ex-
cept by a man's own freedom of choice
and individual initiative.
Today the devil as a wolf in a sup-
posedly new suit of sheep's clothing is
enticing some men, both in and out of
the Church, to parrot his line by advo-
cating planned government guaranteed
security programs at the expense of our
liberties. Latter-day Saints should be
reminded how and why they voted as
they did in heaven. If some have decided
to change their vote they should repent
— throw their support on the side of
freedom — and cease promoting this sub-
version.
When all of the trappings of propa-
ganda and pretense have been pulled
aside, the exposed hard-core structure
of modern communism is amazingly
similar to the ancient Book of Mormon
record of secret societies such as the
Gadiantons. In the ancient American
civilization there was no word which
struck greater terror to the hearts of the
people than the name of the Gadiantons.
It was a secret political party which
operated as a murder cult. Its object was
to infiltrate legitimate government, plant
its officers in high places, and then
seize power and live off the spoils
appropriated from the people. (It would
start out as a small group of "dissenters"
and by using secret oaths with the
threat of death for defectors it would
gradually gain a choke hold on the
political and economic life of whole
civilizations.)
The object of the Gadiantons, like
modern communists, was to destroy the
existing government and set up a ruth-
less criminal dictatorship over the whole
land.
One of the most urgent, heart-stirring
appeals made by Moroni as he closed the
Book of Mormon was addressed to the
gentile nations of the last days. He
foresaw the rise of a great world-wide
secret combination among the gentiles
which "... seeketh to overthrow the
freedom of all lands, nations, and coun-
tries; . . ." (Ether 8:25. Italics added.)
He warned each gentile nation of the
last days to purge itself of this gigantic
criminal conspiracy which would seek
to rule the world.
The prophets, in our day, have con-
tinually warned us of these internal
threats in our midst — that our greatest
threat from socialistic-communism lies
within our country. Brethren and sis-
ters, we don't need a prophet — we have
one — we need a listening ear. And if
we do not listen and heed, then, as the
Doctrine and Covenants states, "...
the day cometh that they who will not
hear the voice of the Lord, neither the
voice of his servants, neither give heed
to the words of the prophets and apos-
tles, shall be cut off from among the
people." (D&C 1:14.)
The prophets have said that these
threats are among us. The Prophet
Moroni, viewing our day, said, "Where-
fore the Lord commandeth you, when ye
shall see these things come among you
that ye shall awake to a sense of your
awful situation." (Ether 8:24.)
Unfortunately our nation has not
treated the socialistic-communist con-
spiracy as "treasonable to our free insti-
tutions," as the First Presidency pointed
out in a signed 1936 statement. If we
continue to uphold communism by not
making it treasonable, our land shall
be destroyed, for the Lord has said that
"... whatsoever nation shall uphold
such secret combinations, to get power
and gain, until they shall spread over
the nation, behold they shall be de-
stroyed; . . ." (Ibid., 8:22.)
The Prophet Moroni described how
the secret combination would take over
a country and then fight the work of
God, persecute the righteous, and murder
those who resisted. Moroni therefore
proceeded to describe the workings of
the ancient "secret combinations" so
that modern man could recognize this
great political conspiracy in the last
days: "Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is
wisdom in God that these things should
72
Saturday, September 30
be shown unto you, that thereby ye may
repent of your sins, and suffer not that
these murderous combinations shall get
above you, which are built up to get
power and gain — and the work, yea,
even the work of destruction come upon
you, . . .
"Wherefore, the Lord commandeth
you, when ye shall see these things come
among you that ye shall awake to a
sense of your awful situation, because
of this secret combination which shall
be among you; . . .
"For it cometh to pass that whoso
buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the
freedom of all lands, nations and coun-
tries; and it bringeth to pass the destruc-
tion of all people, for it is built up by
the devil, who is the father of all
lies; . . ." (Ibid., 8:23-25. Italics added.)
The Prophet Moroni seemed greatly
exercised lest in our day we might not
be able to recognize the startling fact
that the same secret societies which
destroyed the Jaredites and decimated
numerous kingdoms of both Nephites
and Lamanites would be precisely the
same form of criminal conspiracy which
would rise up among the gentile nations
in this day.
The strategems of the leaders of these
societies are amazingly familiar to any-
one who has studied the tactics of mod-
ern communist leaders.
The Lord has declared that before the
second coming of Christ it will be
necessary to ". . . destroy the secret works
of darkness, . . ." in order to preserve
the land of Zion — the Americas. (2 Ne-
phi 10:11-16.)
The world-wide secret conspiracy
which has risen up in our day to fulfil
these prophecies is easily identified.
President McKay has left no room for
doubt as to what attitude Latter-day
Saints should take toward the modern
"secret combinations" of conspiratorial
communism. In a lengthy statement on
communism, he said:
". . . Latter-day Saints should have
nothing to do with the secret combina-
tions and groups antagonistic to the
constitutional law of the land, which the
Lord 'suffered to be established,' and
which 'should be maintained for the
rights and protection of all flesh accord-
ing to just and holy principles.' " (Gos-
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
pel Ideals, by David O. McKay, p. 306.
Italics added.)
There are those who recommend that
the clash between communism and
freedom be avoided through disarma-
ment agreements. Abolishing our
military strength and adopting an
unenforceable contract as a substitute
to protect us would go down in history
as the greatest mistake free men could
make in a time of peril.
President McKay declared:
"Force rules in the world today; con-
sequently, our government must keep
armies abroad, build navies and air
squadrons, create atom bombs to pro-
tect itself from the threatened aggression
of a nation which seems to listen to no
other appeal than compulsion." (Ibid.,
p. 304.)
This parallels the historic statement
by George Washington when he vigor-
ously warned:
"There is a rank due the United States
among the nations that will be totally
lost by the reputation of weakness. If
we would avoid insult we must be able
to repel it, if we would secure the peace,
it must be known that we are at all
times ready for war."
Some timid, vacillating political lead-
ers proclaim that communism is some-
thing we will have to learn to live
with . . . whether it is Khrushchev, or
some other leader. The present commu-
nist system, they declare, will continue
because there is no alternate system to
replace communism. The policy of
increasing power, of pushing their sys-
tem outward and using the communist
party, they say, will go on.
Such a negative attitude writes off the
hundreds of millions behind the iron
curtain as a lost cause. Surely no coura-
geous, liberty-loving citizen will treat
the communist secret combination as
"something we will have to learn to
live with."
There is a more courageous and
sounder point of view. President McKay
expressed it in these words:
ELDER EZRA
"Men will be free. I have hoped for
twenty years that the Russian system
would break up. There is no freedom
under it, and sooner or later the people
will rise against it. They cannot oppose
those fundamentals of civilization and of
God. They can't crush their people
always. Men will be free." (Church
Section, Deseret News, November 6,
1957, in an article entitled, "President
McKay receives Senator Kennedy at
Church Offices.")
What is the official position of the
Church on communism? In 1936 the
First Presidency made an official decla-
ration on communism which has never
been abrogated. I quote the concluding
paragraph:
"We call upon all Church members
completely to eschew communism. The
safety of our divinely inspired consti-
tutional government and the welfare
of our Church imperatively demand
that communism shall have no place
in America."
We must ever keep in mind that
collectivized socialism is part of the
communist strategy. Communism is
fundamentally socialism. We will never
win our fight against communism by
making concessions to socialism. Com-
munism and socialism, closely related,
must be defeated on principle. The
close relationship between socialism and
communism is clearly pointed out by
Senator Strom Thurmond of South Caro-
lina in a letter to the editor of the
Washington Post, of August 6, 1961, in
these words:
". . . Both socialism and communism
derive from the teachings of Marx and
Engels. In fact, the movements were
one until the split over methods of
approach, which resulted after the Rus-
sian revolution in 1905. . . . The aim
and purpose of both was then and is
now world socialism, which communism
seeks to achieve through revolution and
which socialists seek to achieve through
evolution.
"The industrial achievements of the
U. S. are the result of an economic
system which is the antithesis of social-
TAFT BENSON 73
ism. Our economic system is called
'capitalism' or 'private enterprise' and
is based on private property rights, the
profit motive and competition.
"Both communism and socialism seek
to destroy our economic system and
replace it with socialism; and their
success, whether through evolution by
socialism or through revolution by com-
munism or a combination, will destroy
not only our economic system, but our
liberty, including the 'civil' aspects as
well. . . .
". . . The 'common ground' of socialism
and communism is a factor to which
the American people should be alerted.
Without a clear understanding that
communism is socialism, the total threat
and menace of the cold war can never
be comprehended and fought to victory."
When socialism is understood, we will
realize that many of the programs ad-
vocated, and some of those already
adopted in the United States, fall clearly
within the category of socialism. What is
socialism? It is simply governmental
ownership and management of the es-
sential means for the production and
distribution of goods.
We must never forget that nations
may sow the seeds of their own destruc-
tion while enjoying unprecedented pros-
perity.
The socialistic-communist conspiracy
to weaken the United States involves
attacks on many fronts. To weaken the
American free-enterprise economy which
outproduced both its enemies and allies
during World War II is a high priority
target of the communist leaders. Their
press and other propaganda media are
therefore constantly selling the princi-
ples of centralized or federal control of
farms, railroads, electric power, schools,
steel, maritime shipping, and many
other aspects of the economy — but al-
ways in the name of public welfare.
This carries out the strategy laid
down by the communist masters. John
Strachey, a top official in the Labor
Socialist party of Great Britain, in his
book entitled The Theory and Practice
of Socialism said:
"It is impossible to establish com-
munism as the immediate successor
74
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Saturday, September 30
to capitalism. It is accordingly proposed
to establish socialism as something
which we can put in the place of our
present decaying capitalism. Hence,
communists work for the establishment
of socialism as a necessary transition
stage on the road to communism."
The paramount issue today is liberty
against creeping socialism. It is in this
spirit that President McKay stated:
"Communism is antagonistic to the
American way of life. Its avowed pur-
pose is to destroy belief in God and
free enterprise. . . . The fostering of full
economic freedom lies at the base of
our liberties. Only in perpetuating
economic freedom can our social, politi-
cal, and religious liberties be preserved."
(Excerpt from Inaugural address for
Dr. Henry A. Dixon, President of USU,
delivered by President McKay at the
USU fieldhouse, Logan, Utah, Mon-
day, March 18, 1954.)
Again President McKay warned, citing
the words of W. C. Mullendore, presi-
dent of Southern California Edison
Company:
"During the first half of the twentieth
century we have traveled far into the
soul-destroying land of socialism and
made strange alliances through which
we have become involved in almost
continuous hot and cold wars over the
whole of the earth. In this retreat from
freedom the voices of protesting citizens
have been drowned by raucous shouts of
intolerance and abuse from those who
led the retreat and their millions of
gullible youth, who are marching mer-
rily to their doom, carrying banners on
which are emblazoned such intriguing
and misapplied labels as social justice,
equality, reform, patriotism, social wel-
fare." (Gospel Ideals, p. 273.)
It is significant thai 1 18 years ago this
month the Prophet Joseph Smith, after
attending lectures on socialism, made
this official entry in church history: "I
said I did not believe the doctrine."
(History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 33.)
No true Latter-day Saint and no true
American can be a socialist or a com-
munist or support programs leading in
that direction. These evil philosophies
Second Day
are incompatible with Mormonism, the
true gospel of Jesus Christ.
What can priesthood holders do?
There are many things we can do to
meet the challenge of the adversary in
our day.
First, we should become informed
about communism, about socialism, and
about Americanism. What better way
can one become informed than by first
studying the inspired words of the
prophets and using that as a foundation
against which to test all other material.
This is in keeping with the Prophet
Joseph Smith's motto, "When the Lord
commands, do it." (Ibid., Vol. 2, p. 170.)
The Foundation for Economic Educa-
tion, Irvington-on-Hudson, New York,
on which President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.,
served as a board member, continues
to supply sound freedom literature. We
should know enough about American
free enterprise to be able to defend it.
We should know what makes it possible
for six percent of humanity — living
under our free economy — to produce
about one-half of the earth's developed
wealth each year.
We should know why paternalism,
collectivism, or unnecessary federal su-
pervision will hold our standard of
living down and reduce productivity
just as it has in every country where it
has been tried. We should also know
why the communist leaders consider
socialism the highroad to communism.
Second, we should accept the com-
mand of the Lord and treat socialistic
communism as the tool of Satan. We
should follow the counsel of the
President of the Church and resist the
influence and policies of the socialist-
communist conspiracy wherever they are
found — in the schools, in the churches,
in governments, in unions, in businesses,
in agriculture.
Third, we should help those who have
been deceived or who are misinformed
to find the truth. Unless each person
who knows the truth will "stand up and
speak up" it is difficult for the deceived
or confused citizen to find his way back.
Fourth, we should not make the mis-
take of calling people "communist" just
because they happen to be helping the
communist cause. Thousands of patriotic
Americans, including a few Latter-day
PRESIDENT D
Saints, have helped the communists
without realizing it. Others have know-
ingly helped without joining the party.
The remedy is to avoid name-calling,
but point out clearly and persuasively
how they are helping the communists.
Fifth, each priesthood holder should
use his influence in the community to
resist the erosion process which is taking
place in our political and economic life.
He should use the political party of his
choice to express his evaluation of im-
portant issues. He should see that his
party is working to preserve freedom,
not destroy it. He should join respon-
sible local groups interested in promo-
ting freedom and free competitive
enterprise, in studying political issues,
appraising the voting records and pro-
posed programs, and writing to members
of Congress, promoting good men in
public office and scrutinizing local,
state, and federal agencies to see that
the will of the people is being carried
out. He should not wait for the Lord's
servants to give instruction for every
detail once they have announced the
direction in which the priesthood should
go. Each member should exercise prayer-
ful judgment and then act.
Sixth, and most important of all,
each member of the priesthood should
set his own house in order. This should
include:
1. Regular family prayer, remember-
ing especially our government leaders.
2. Getting out of debt.
3. Seeing that each member of the
family understands the importance of
keeping the commandments.
4. Seeing that the truth is shared
with members of the family, with neigh-
bors, and with associates.
5. Seeing that each member is per-
forming his duties in the priesthood,
in the auxiliary organizations, in the
temple, and in the civic life of the
community.
6. Seeing that every wage earner in
the home is a full tithepayer and ful-
filling other obligations in financial
support of the kingdom.
7. Providing a one-year supply of
essentials.
In doing these things a member of
the Church is not only making himself
an opponent of the adversary, but a
proponent of the Lord.
In the prophecies there is no promise
VID O. McKAY 75
except to the obedient. To a modern
prophet the Lord said:
"Therefore, what I say unto one, I
say unto all: Watch, for the adversary
spreadeth his dominions, and darkness
reigneth;
"And the anger of God kindleth
against the inhabitants of the earth;
"... I give unto you directions how
you may act before me, that it may
turn to you for your salvation.
"I, the Lord, am bound when ye
do what I say; but when ye do not
what I say, ye have no promise."
(D&C 82:5-6, 9-10.)
May God give us the wisdom to
recognize the threat to our freedom and
the strength to meet this danger cour-
ageously.
Yes, perilous times are ahead, but if
we do our duty in all things, God will
give us inner peace and overrule all
things for our good. God grant it may
be so, I pray, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Ezra Taft Benson of the Coun-
cil of the Twelve has just concluded
speaking. The combined choral groups
accompanied by the Bonneville Strings
will now sing the "Hosanna Anthem,"
conducted by Brother David Austin
Shand. The benediction will be offered
by Elder Milton P. Ream, president of
the San Leandro Stake, after which this
Conference will be adjourned until
seven o'clock this evening when the
General Priesthood Meeting of the
Church will be held in the Salt Lake
Tabernacle.
Only those holding the Priesthood are
invited to be present. Persons not hold-
ing the Priesthood will kindly refrain
from attempting to enter the building.
This Priesthood session will not be
broadcast publicly. However, in addi-
tion to overflow meetings in the Assem-
bly Hall and in Barratt Hall, the pro-
ceedings of this Priesthood Meeting will
be relayed by closed circuit to members
of the Priesthood assembled in 299 other
Church buildings from coast to coast
and in Canada.
The general sessions tomorrow will
be broadcast as a public service over
television and radio stations throughout
76
Saturday, September 30
the West. The Tabernacle Choir
broadcast will be from 8:30 to 9:00 A.M.
Those desiring to attend this broadcast
must be in their seats at 8:15 A.M. It is
requested that the audience remain
quiet during the broadcast.
The singing for this session has been
furnished, as heretofore announced, by
University of Utah Institute of Religion,
the University Stake Chorus, and the
Bonneville Strings, under the direction
of Elder David Austin Shand, with Elder
Alexander Schreiner at the organ. We
are glad to have these young men and
young women with us this afternoon
and this morning, and we thank them
for their contribution to two most in-
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
spiring sessions. We hope they will be
filled with satisfaction in their hearts
for the sermons to which they have lis-
tened. Thank you, Brother Shand, and
boys and girls of the University of
Utah.
The "Hosanna Anthem" by the com-
bined choral groups and then the bene-
diction will be offered by President
Milton P. Ream of San Leandro Stake.
The Hosanna Anthem was sung by
the Combined Choral Groups, after
which the closing prayer was offered by
President Milton P. Ream of the San
Leandro Stake.
Conference adjourned until 7:00 p.m.
GENERAL PRIESTHOOD MEETING
The General Priesthood Meeting of
the Church convened in the Tabernacle
Saturday evening, September 30, 1961,
at 7:00 p.m.
President David O. McKay was pres-
ent and presided.
The Tabernacle Choir Men's Chorus,
with Richard P. Condie, Director, fur-
nished the choral music for this meeting.
Elder Alexander Schreiner, Tabernacle
Organist, was at the organ console.
President David O. McKay made the
following introductory remarks:
President David O. McKay:
This is the fifth session of the One
Hundred Thirty-First Semi-Annual Con-
ference of the Church. You will be in-
terested to know that these services are
being relayed by closed circuit to mem-
bers of the Priesthood gathered here in
the Tabernacle, in the Assembly Hall,
in Barratt Hall, and in 299 other build-
ings from coast to coast and in Canada.
The singing will be furnished by the
Tabernacle Choir Men's Chorus, with
Richard P. Condie as director, and
Alexander Schreiner at the organ.
We shall begin these services by the
Men's Chorus singing, "The Spirit of
God Like a Fire Is Burning." After the
singing Elder James E. Faust, president
of the Cottonwood Stake, will offer the
invocation.
The Tabernacle Choir Men's Chorus
sang the hymn, "The Spirit of God
Like A Fire Is Burning."
President James E. Faust of the Cot-
tonwood Stake offered the opening
prayer.
President David O. McKay:
The invocation, as already stated,
was offered by Elder James E. Faust,
president of the Cottonwood Stake. The
Men's Chorus of the Tabernacle Choir
will now sing, "Praise the Lord, His
Glories Show," Elder Richard P. Condie
directing.
Selection by the Tabernacle Choir
Men's Chorus, "Praise the Lord, His
Glories Show."
President David O. McKay:
You men in the 300 other assemblies
cannot see this glorious group of the
Priesthood here in the Tabernacle, but
we sincerely pray that you heard that
inspirational singing by this Tabernacle
Choir Men's Chorus. We pray that the
spirit they have given us this night and
the spirit that you have brought with
you, my dear fellow laborers, will be
felt throughout this land in all its ex-
tremity, wherever the Priesthood is
gathered tonight.
We unite in saying God bless you all,
and particularly we pray that the mes-
ELDER HAROLD B. LEE
77
sage given you this night by Elder
Harold B. Lee and Elder Richard L.
Evans regarding the correlating of our
studies, Melchizedek, Aaronic, and
auxiliary, may be understood and taken
to heart. It is one of the greatest under-
takings that have yet been presented
to the Priesthood. It has been under
consideration for many years and we
hope and pray that it will be presented
tonight so that all presidencies of stakes,
bishoprics of wards, presidents of quo-
rums, and presidencies of the auxiliary
organizations throughout the Church
will glimpse its significance and its
magnitude.
Our first speaker will be Elder Harold
B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve,
and Chairman of the Melchizedek
Priesthood Committee.
ELDER HAROLD B. LEE
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
I have a tremendous feeling of in-
adequacy as I respond to the assignment
of President McKay and seek for the
strength of the prayers of the priesthood
of the Church to the end that this few
minutes might be informative and give
you something of the plans which are
now to go forward on this most vital
subject.
I should like to introduce the thoughts
which I shall express by reading a text
that to me has particular significance.
I quote from the words of the Apostle
Paul, speaking of the different organiza-
tions of the Church within what he
called "the body of Christ," by which
he meant the Church:
"For the body is not one member, but
many.
"If the foot shall say, Because I am not
the hand, I am not of the body; is it
therefore not of the body?
"And if the ear shall say, Because I
am not the eye, I am not of the body;
is it therefore not of the body? . . .
"But now hath God set the members
every one of them in the body, as it hath
pleased him. . . .
"But now are they many members,
yet but one body.
"And the eye cannot say unto the
hand, I have no need of thee: nor again
the head to the feet, I have no need
of you. . . .
". . . but God hath tempered the body
together, . . .
"That there should be no schism in
the body; but that the members should
have the same care one for another. . . .
"Now ye are the body of Christ, and
members in particular.
"And God hath set some in the
church, first apostles, secondarily proph-
ets, thirdly teachers, . . . then . . . helps
(and) governments. . . ." (See 1 Cor.
12:14-28.)
In the great, modern-day revelation
on Church government, the Lord con-
cludes with this statement:
"Behold, this is the way that mine
apostles, in ancient days, built up my
church unto me.
"Therefore, let every man stand in
his own office, and labor in his own
calling; and let not the head say unto
the feet it hath no need of the feet; for
without the feet how shall the body be
able to stand?
"Also the body hath need of every
member, that all may be edified to-
gether, that the system may be kept
perfect." (D&C 84:108-110.)
Obviously, as you think about those
scriptures, they were given to impress
the need for the constant and continued
consultations and correlations of the
various subdivisions, the priesthood quo-
rums and the auxiliaries and all other
units within the kingdom of God for at
least four reasons:
First, that each organization was to
have its specific function, and it was
not to usurp the field of the other,
which would be like the eye saying to
the hand, "I have no need of thee."
Second, that each sub-division is of
equal importance in the work of salva-
tion, just as each part of the physical
body is essential to a complete human
being.
Third, that all may be edified or
educated together; and
Fourth, that the system may be kept
perfect, or in other words, that within
78
Saturday, September 30
the framework of the Lord's plan of
organization for the salvation of his
children, the Church will perform as
a perfectly organized human body, with
every member functioning as it was
intended.
Throughout the scriptures there runs
a phrase, again and again repeated to
remind us of the whole purpose of the
Lord's plan. As he told his prophet,
his purpose was ". . . to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man,"
(Moses 1 :39) or to be more specific and,
putting it into the language of our
present leaders as they have counseled
us, "to plant and to make grow in every
member of the Church a testimony of
Christ and of the gospel and of the
divinity of the mission of Joseph Smith
and the Church and to bring the people
to order their lives in accordance with
the laws and principles of the restored
gospel and priesthood."
The repeated necessity for re-examina-
tion of the programs, the activities, and
the prescribed courses of study has been
apparent over the years to make certain
that the original concepts relative to
each organization were being adhered to,
that each in its field was functioning up
to its capacity, that one was not usurp-
ing the field of activity designed for the
other, and that duplications and over-
lappings were reduced to a minimum.
I found an apt illustration which il-
lustrates the importance of this periodical
re-examination and re-appraisal. In
history there is found recorded the
account of a famed debate known as the
Webster-Hayne Debate in Congress in
which Daniel Webster made this state-
ment that seems to apply to the point
I want to make. Said Daniel Webster:
"Mr. President, when the mariner has
been tossed about for many days in
thick weather on an unknown sea, he
naturally avails himself of the first
pause in the storm, the earliest glance
of the sun to take his latitude and ascer-
tain how far the elements have driven
him from his true course. Let us imi-
tate this prudence and before we float
on the waves of this debate refer to the
point from which we departed, that we
may at least be able to conjecture
where we now are."
There are several illustrations as we
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
have studied the history of these surveys
of the past, to illustrate why this is
necessary. We found, for example, that
some years ago a responsible head of
one of the organizations asked the ques-
tion as to whether or not a committee of
the Council of the Twelve was not to be
limited to the sole function of passing
only on the doctrinal content of pro-
posed manuals rather than to have any-
thing to say on matters of policy in
selecting the subject matter for the
manual.
Paraphrasing the words of Webster:
"We are to again see how far we have
departed from the true course, that we
may at least conjecture where we
now are."
This whole problem of correlation
grows and develops, if you will just stop
to think for a moment what the rapid
expansion and growth of the Church
entails. Within each year by conver-
sion or convert baptisms and natural
increase, there are enough people being
added to the Church to make from
seventeen to twenty stakes each year.
Since I came to be a member of the
Council of the Twelve, twenty years and
six months ago, we have grown from 138
stakes now to 335 or 336, whatever it be,
in just that twenty year period.
There is an increasing need for build-
ings, but with that an impressed need
for using every economy possible to have
nothing unnecessary in those buildings,
which economies can come about by
proper correlation. We have increased
temple work, increased need for gene-
alogical work with increased numbers
of temples. We have an increase in
welfare activities. We have an increase
in tithes and offerings. And so we
might go on to determine the great ex-
pansion of the Church.
Within the memories of many of
the present General Authorities, there
have been surveys of this kind, or re-
examinations about twenty years apart.
One of the first comprehensive studies
was undertaken under the general chair-
manship of President David O. McKay,
who was then the chairman of the
general priesthood committee of the
Church, and this was about forty years
ago. To me it is a significant thing that
ELDER HAROLD B. LEE
79
this problem of proper correlation seems
to have been in President McKay's
mind through all of this time and per-
haps as long as he has been one of the
General Authorities.
In 1920, the first such study was
made, again in 1938, and after calling
attention to the continued expansion of
the fields of activity and increasing
overlapping of the several Church
organizations, President McKay, who by
this time was now a member of the
First Presidency, called attention to this,
and I quote from a working copy that
he has left with us: "The necessity to
provide a course of study and of activi-
ties that shall bring the young people
of missionary age to a substantial and
rounded knowledge of the principles of
the gospel all require that the work of
the auxiliary organizations and of our
educational institutions should be co-
ordinated and as among the various
organizations de-limited as well as uni-
fied and standardized to avoid dupli-
cation and overlapping and to provide
the training which is required by the
young people."
In March of last year, 1960, the First
Presidency wrote to the general priest-
hood committee and called our attention
to the need for better correlation be-
tween and among the courses of study
put out by the general priesthood com-
mittee and other responsible heads of
other committees of the General Author-
ities for the instruction of the priesthood
of the Church and an urgent need of
correlation of studies among the auxil-
iaries of the Church, to avoid the
necessity for new courses of study every
year, having the ultimate objective of
building up a knowledge of the gospel,
a power to promulgate the same, a pro-
motion of the growth, faith, and
stronger testimony of the principles of
the gospel among the members of the
Church, and expressed the view in that
letter to the general priesthood com-
mittee that if the whole church cur-
riculum were viewed from the vantage
point of what might be termed the
total purpose of each and all these
organizations, it would bring about such
a collation and limitation of subjects
and subject-matter elaborated in the
various auxiliary courses as would tend
to the building of efficiency in the
auxiliaries themselves in the matter of
carrying out the purposes lying behind
their creation and function.
That study, commenced early last
year, has continued on for this last year
and a half, going on now two years,
under the direction of the educational
committee, which is a sub-committee of
the general priesthood committee, and
we were authorized to select and set to
work a survey committee to go back over
all the history of each Church unit and
to aid the educational committee in that
study to determine the aims and ob-
jectives in the beginning of each organ-
ization and to review the expansions
and changes which have taken place and
to study all previous recommendations
on the subject of correlation. May I say as
well, that the key to what now we have
to propose and which I will explain
to you in a few minutes, and a guide
to the educational committee and the
research staff, was a communication
from the First Presidency in one of
these studies some while back when
they called attention to the fact that
"the home was the basis of a righteous
life and that no other instrumentality
can take its place nor fulfil its essen-
tial functions and that the utmost the
auxiliaries can do is to aid the home
in its problems, giving special aid and
succor where such is necessary, that in
aiding the home the auxiliaries may well
consider thinking of home-life of the
people as having three periods, the first,
from birth to twelve years of age or the
childhood period; then the youth period
from twelve years up to the early twen-
ties; and then adulthood, from the early
twenties on to the end of life."
With that as the key and the letter
given from the First Presidency as the
blueprint, it is the feeling now of the
First Presidency and the Council of the
Twelve, after reviewing these studies,
that there should be presently more co-
ordination and correlation between the
activities and programs of the various
priesthood quorums and auxiliary or-
ganizations and the educational system
of the Church. They have decided, there-
fore, that there should be established an
all-Church co-ordinating council and
three co-ordinating committees: one for
the children, one for the youth, and one
GENERAL CONFERENCE
80
Saturday, September 30
for adults. This council and the three
committees will correlate and co-or-
dinate the total instructional and activity
programs of all auxiliaries and priest-
hood quorums which the brethren
have now suggested should include
missionary instructions and activities
for the entire Church.
This council and committees will be
composed of representatives of the Gen-
eral Authorities, the executive heads of
the auxiliary boards, and representatives
of various agencies and auxiliaries of
the Church.
I will now indicate just what that
personnel will look like, as it now gets
into action: The all-Church co-ordinat-
ing council will be composed of a chair-
man, who will be one of the Council
of the twelve, and three General Au-
thorities, all of whom will be members
of the twelve: one representing the
children, one representing youth, and
one representing the adults, and a secre-
tary. The three General Authorities
will be the chairmen of their re-
spective committees. There will be
a secretary and secretaries from each of
the co-ordinating committees, the Pre-
siding Bishop, a member of the
Melchizedek Priesthood committee, an
executive of the Church educational sys-
tem, the president or superintendent of
the following auxiliaries: Relief Society,
Sunday School, YMMIA, YWMIA, and
the Primary Association.
The function of the all-Church co-
ordinating council is to formulate policy
which will govern the planning, the
writing, co-ordination, and implementa-
tion of the entire Church curriculum.
In addition to the organization of the
co-ordinating council, three co-ordinat-
ing committees will be formed under
the direction and policies of that coun-
cil as I have said. The personnel of
the children's co-ordinating committee,
for example, will be made up of a chair-
man, one of the twelve; there will be a
committee secretary, and the best-
qualified people in the Church repre-
senting children, most of whom will be
selected from the general boards of the
Primary and the Sunday School. The
function of this committee will be to
plan, provide, write, and co-ordinate
curricula and activities for children in
Second Day
age groups which d6 riot overlap, includ-
ing courses of study, activities, and mate-
rials for children to twelve years of age,
and then these functions will be carried
out under the co-ordinating council.
The youth co-ordinating committee
will be made up of a chairman, one of
the twelve, a committee secretary, and
the best-qualified people in the Church,
representing youth, mainly selected
from the Presiding Bishopric, general
boards of the YMMIA and YWMIA,
Sunday School, and the general church
school system. The function of this com-
mittee will be to plan, write, provide,
and co-ordinate curricula and activities
for youth in age groups, using the
Aaronic Priesthood age groups as a guide,
including courses of study, activities,
and materials.
And the adult committee will be com-
posed of a chairman, one of the twelve,
a secretary, and the best-qualified
people in the Church representing adults
and should be selected from the Mel-
chizedek Priesthood committee, the gen-
eral boards of Relief Society, MIA's,
Sunday School, church school system,
etc., and it will be their function to plan
and write and provide and co-ordinate
the curriculum for adults.
These heads of the various groups
affected have been notified by the First
Presidency of their appointment to this
council, and they are now standing
ready for the call to this important
service. The auxiliary organizations of
the Church in their present form will
continue to implement the program on
the Church level, on the stake level,
and on the ward level. The co-ordinat-
ing committees will work under the
direction of the co-ordinating council
and will work in line with policies
formed by that council.
The auxiliary boards will carry out
the program which is formulated by
the co-ordinating committee. Now, you
must bear in mind that the co-ordinat-
ing committees will be composed mainly
of general board members who are al-
ready writing plans and programs for
the Church. Such a program will make
it possible better to correlate and co-
ordinate the program of the Church
and will prevent overlapping, thus mak-
ing it possible to teach the gospel in
ELDER HAE
a more efficient and effective way in
harmony with the instructions of the
First Presidency.
In the adoption of such a program, we
may possibly and hopefully look for-
ward to the consolidation and simpli-
fication of church curricula, church
publications, church buildings, church
meetings, and many other important
aspects of the Lord's work.
With that brief statement may I con-
clude with just this one thought.
Perhaps one of the most oft-asked
questions, as we go about the Church,
is "How, with the Church growing to
the size that it is, can we hope for the
present General Authorities to supervise
and to keep in contact with the grow-
ing Church?" My answer has always
been, "I am sure that by the time we
arrive at the place where we need more
revelations that the Lord will give that
light and knowledge to the prophet
whom he has put upon the earth for
that purpose."
Recently, President McKay, acting un-
der the inspiration of his calling, moved
to enlarge the activities of the seventies,
by ordaining some of the presidents of
seventies to the office of high priests,
with the explanation that it would make
them more serviceable and more effective
in their work. I was in one of the
Arizona stakes, and I had one of the
brethren ask, "Was it not true that
the Prophet Joseph had said that it was
contrary to the order of heaven that a
high priest should be in that position?"
I merely said to him, "Had you ever
thought that what might have been
contrary to the order of heaven in the
early 1830's might not be contrary to
the order of heaven in 1960?"
Sometimes we forget that today,
here and now, we have a prophet to
whom the Lord is giving instruction for
our good. We say, "We believe all
that God has revealed, all that He does
now reveal, and we believe that He will
yet reveal many great and important
things pertaining to the Kingdom of
God." (Ninth Article of Faith.)
Almost imperceptibly we see the hand
of the Lord moving to do things, and
this I construe to be a consolidation of
the forces of the Lord under the direc-
tion of the prophet, just as in an army,
)LD B. LEE 81
in order to meet a superior force
of the enemy in numbers, the forces of
our opposition to the forces of evil must
be consolidated in order to give them
the most effective possible defense.
We are in a program of defense. The
Church of Jesus Christ was set upon
this earth in this day ". . . for a defense,
and for a refuge from the storm, and
from wrath when it should be poured
out without mixture upon the whole
earth." (D&C 115:6.) This is a move,
which, as I say, has lain close to Presi-
dent McKay's mind and now as the
President of the Church he is instruct-
ing us to move forward, that we con-
solidate to make more efficient, and
more effective the work of the priest-
hood, the auxiliaries, and the other
units in order that we may conserve
our time, our energy, and our efforts
toward the prime purpose for which the
Church itself has been organized. We
must not forget what the Lord said, that
he had given a parable to teach us a
great lesson, and concluded the parable
by saying, "I say unto you, be one; and
if ye are not one ye are not mine."
(Ibid., 38:27.)
When I remembered that, I remem-
bered a revelation that President John
Taylor received when the leaders were
wondering about the relationship of
the seventies to the high priests, and in
a very pertinent, significant statement,
the Lord gave this revelation to Presi-
dent John Taylor:
"What ye have written is my will
and is acceptable unto me and further-
more, thus saith the Lord unto the First
Presidency and unto the Twelve, unto
the Seventies and unto all my Holy
Priesthood, let not your hearts be
troubled, neither be ye concerned about
the management and the organizations
of my Church and Priesthood and the
accomplishment of my work. Fear not
and observe my laws, and I will reveal
unto you from time to time, through
the channels that I have appointed
everything that shall be necessary for
the future development and the rolling
forth of my Kingdom and for the build-
ing up and the establishment of my
Zion, for ye are my Priesthood and I am
your God." (B. H. Roberts, Seventy's
Course in Theology, Vol. I, p. 10.)
GENERAL CONFERENCE
82
Saturday, September 30
To which I also bear my humble
testimony, that the Lord is revealing to
President McKay just as certainly here
and now and this becomes an instruc-
tion as inspired as any instruction has
been given and for us to remember as
members of the priesthood if we will just
keep our eye on the President of this
Church and look to him today for God's
revelations, we will see him moving to
do the thing that will be for the salva-
tion of the children of men in the most
effective way possible, and I bear that
Second Day
humble testimony in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Thank you, Elder Lee, for that plain,
emphatic presentation of this great new
plan for correlating the work and studies
of the Church. Elder Richard L. Evans
of the Council of the Twelve, and also
one of the General Committee, will now
speak to us on the same subject.
ELDER RICH
Of the Council of
President McKay and my beloved
brethren: As I see you before me here
and contemplate some three hundred
other congregations meeting elsewhere
at this hour, a pride and gratitude fill
my soul for being part of this great
brotherhood of the priesthood.
Before turning to the specific topic
that Brother Lee has so ably and
comprehensively and understandingly
presented (and my remarks will be
only by way of emphasis of what he
has already said) I should like to ex-
press my missing of President Clark,
who so long has been so much a part
of these gatherings, and my love for
President McKay, which he knows of
and, with you, my loyalty and sustain-
ing of him with all my heart, and of
those associated with him.
Earnestly I have sought help in this
assignment and would now suggest
some few side lights on the subject that
may re-emphasize the need for that
which has long been contemplated and
considered and studied and is now about
to be.
In a recent world tour, as we touched
in some sixteen countries, we became
more aware of the hundreds of mil-
lions of mankind; we became more
aware also of the ever-widening respon-
sibility of the Church and of the need
for our widening influence and greater
distribution of our effort.
Brother Lee has mentioned the growth
of the Church. If we were to cover
the world with ten million people in
RD L. EVANS
le Twelve Apostles
each mission (if my decimal point is
put in the right place) it would take
about three hundred or some five times
more missions than we now have. (If
my decimal point is in the wrong place,
we are really in trouble!)
In a book which Brother William E.
Berrett has prepared c or priesthood
quorum study of Book of Mormon
subjects and themes, he recalls this
startling illustration on population from
some years ago: that if all people in the
world were to line up thirty-six abreast
and pass a point in military marching
order, they would never pass completely,
because the rate of those arriving in the
world would be such that the parade
would be never-ending, and the Church
and kingdom of God has responsibility
for all of them — however many there
are and however many there may be
comingl If we project such figures to
the present and the future and add to
them in geometric ratio, we can
glimpse the complexities and the
responsibilities.
I heard, in a great gathering in Tokyo,
Dr. Henry Heald, president of the Ford
Foundation, give an account of some of
the world-wide projects which his or-
ganization has undertaken in its
philanthropic distribution of many mil-
lions of dollars among many millions
of men, in trying to solve some prob-
lems and alleviate some conditions, and
he quoted a phrase that may be perti-
nent to the point at which we have
arrived. He spoke of the "elimination
ELDER RICHARD L. EVANS
83
of the insignificant," and I think it is
apparent to all of us that we may have
arrived at that point: the elimination of
the insignificant and of the inconse-
quential. To borrow a sentence recently
read, "It is getting to where our neces-
sities are too luxurious and our luxuries
too necessary." I think this phrase
used by Dr. Heald, the elimination of
the inconsequential or insignificant, is
pertinent to this problem.
In the June issue of the Era, is a
sentence from a poet, which says: "I am
full fed, and yet I hunger." Now, we
have been full fed in many areas, and
yet we hunger in others, and we will,
it seems, have to have a wider distribu-
tion of our effort and our influence,
the elimination of unnecessary duplica-
tion, of internal competition, if there is
any, and a fuller coverage of some
neglected areas. We have recognized
that there is "One Lord, one faith, one
baptism, . . ." (Eph. 4:5.) We must
recognize that it is one boy, one girl,
one person, with whom we are working
and always and ever have in mind what
every program does to the person, to the
man, the boy, the girl, and know that
the organizations are there so that there
shall be a fulness of life for each and
all, and not for their own sake or to
perpetuate any particular program. We
must have balance and feed all sides of
ourselves, as suggested by an eminent
churchman who said, "The Church can
be interested in no less than God is in-
terested in. Religion has to do with
everything."
The gospel enters into everything,
and it would not be the purpose of this
newly proposed program, as I under-
stand it, to take anything essential from
any area, but to add unto as to essen-
tials and to do all things more fully
and effectively. And as to superficial or
unessential things, I think we must
have courage to look at all programs
in the light of present needs, as did
the founders of these organizations be-
fore us, as they brought them into being.
This does not necessarily mean a
thinning out of the over- all program,
but it means a reappraisal, and per-
haps if the First Presidency so sug-
gests a redistribution, a redefinition,
and an abridgment in unessential areas,
a better use of time, of effort, and
energy. It could mean, and well could,
I would suppose, more emphasis on
the home.
I am thinking of a phrase: flexibility
and firmness. These the Church must
have: the flexibility to change, to meet
conditions as they come, with firm-
ness of principles and of instruction and
of gospel precepts and commandments,
never tampering with the solid founda-
tions, but ever keeping flexible in meet-
ing current conditions and being
discriminating as between what is super-
structure and what is bedrock founda-
tion, and always being prepared to m ake
the necessary adjustment between the
two.
Our opportunities with young people
are perishable. We are aware of this
as young men leave us, sometimes sud-
denly, under the circumstances in
which we live, and this calls for the
teaching of the whole gospel to every-
one, and perhaps earlier than we have
before, in a well-rounded program that
will reach every person on all facets and
all sides of himself. There is no magic
formula for it except the simple teach-
ing of the truth to everyone in an
orderly program and procedure.
This would not necessarily change the
names or basic traditions of any organ-
izations, but it would define them and
prescribe their function as to each area
and as to any overlapping. This will
require more of everything from all of
us, this great growth of the Church and
the extending of our organization and
influence — more of our tithes, more of
our time, more of our offerings and
our effort, as we seek to absorb those
who come to us as well as those who
already are with us.
Now may I close with one or two
short quotes, one from the Psalmist,
which I think is pertinent to this pro-
gram as proposed: "Teach me thy way,
O Lord, and lead me in a plain path,
. . ." (Psalm 27:11.)
The other, which I borrow from a dis-
tinguished friend, as I beard him give
it at a meeting far from here: "Face the
future courageously and with determina-
tion. Echo not the cowardly words of
the nerveless Hamlet who voiced the
thought, familiar to all, 'the time is
84
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Saturday, September 30
out of joint: Oh, cursed spite, that
I was ever born to set it right!' Cry,
rather, with Rupert Brooke who, sail-
ing, for the hard campaign in Galli-
poli, declared, 'Now God be thanked
who hath matched us with this hour.' "
With you, I thank God that we are
matched with this hour and, with you,
pray for his guidance and acknowledge
to him our thanks for the prophet who
leads us, who directs this program, who
has long had it close to his heart, and
pray with you that it may go forward
for the simplification, the elimination
of all duplications and competition and
unessentials, and the enriching of all
that is essential in every life, everywhere
in the world.
God bless you, my brethren. I leave
with you my witness of the truth of
this work, of the reality that God lives,
Second Day
of the divinity of his Son, our Savior,
and of the reality of the restoration of
the gospel, and the inspired leadership
of the prophet of the present time, and
I do it in Jesus' name. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Thank you, Brother Evans. The Male
Chorus and Congregation will now sing
"Redeemer Of Israel," with Richard P.
Condie conducting.
The Tabernacle Choir Men's Chorus
and the Congregation joined in singing
the hymn, "Redeemer Of Israel."
President David O. McKay:
We shall now hear from President
Hugh B. Brown of the First Presidency.
PRESIDENT HUGH B. BROWN
Counselor in the First Presidency
My dear brethren, I think that in a long
lifetime of Church service and appearing
before various sized groups, I have never
felt more humble than I do tonight as
I stand before this vast group of men
and realize that more than as many as
are here are probably listening in
other places. My feeling of inadequacy
is emphasized by the fact that you have
asked me to assume some duties and
responsibilities for which I am not pre-
pared. I therefore lean heavily tonight
on your sympathy and God's goodness.
I had made some preparation, having
been notified that I would be asked
to speak, but I am leaving my notes on
the chair and shall attempt extempora-
neously, with the help of the Lord, to
emphasize what has been said, though
I may not be able to add thereto. Elder
Lee and Elder Evans have given us
much to think about. Brother Lee inti-
mated an analogy which I should like
for a moment to enlarge upon.
I do not like to compare the Church
to an army, but there are some things
that are similar. At least in both or-
ganizations we are dealing with human
beings, and human beings are pretty
much the same wherever you find
them. I am thinking at the moment of
an incident in 1912 when the then
highest ranking officer in the British
Army, came to western Canada to pro-
mote the organization of what was then
known as the militia. He called all the
young officers who were in training into
a meeting. Among other things, he said
to us, and I can only paraphrase:
"Gentlemen, a war is coming. In my
opinion it cannot be delayed more than
two years. It is going to be the worst
war in history thus far, and I am here,
to do what I can to prepare the nation
for what is ahead."
His prediction, of course, as to the
time of the outbreak of the war was
accurate, because the war started for
Britain in 1914. Subsequent to that
time, and on a number of occasions, it
was my duty to talk to officers in the
army. Always, under instruction from
commanding officers, my purpose was,
first to acquaint the officers, so far as I
could, with the strength and position of
the enemy; and secondly, to remind the
men of their duty and to encourage un-
deviating loyalty; and then to warn
them against the methods employed by
PRESIDENT Hi
the enemy by subtle infiltration and
attempted alienation.
We said to these officers, "Your units
will not be stronger than their leaders.
You can pretty well judge the strength
of any military unit by the quality of
its leaders." We reminded them also
that the lives of their men depended
upon their efficiency and loyalty.
Tonight we are speaking to perhaps
50,000 men, and every man is a volun-
teer and qualified officer. Upon each
one of you there is great responsibility
regardless of where you are working or
the size of the group you preside over.
Here, as in the army, our strength is
going to depend in large measure upon
the quality of our officers, and our pur-
pose tonight is to warn you priesthood
holders, and through you the men and
women of your various groups, of the
existence, strength, location, and tactics
of the enemy, and to remind you that
we rely on your absolute loyalty and
that preparedness is indispensable.
In the army too frequently we refer
to fitness as only physical fitness. To-
night we are calling upon all of you
officers of the Church to be fit and
ready, physically, mentally, morally,
and spiritually, for the war that lies
ahead because the enemy is determined
to destroy all that we hold dear. He is
thoroughly organized; he is cunning
and ruthless; he is led by men well
trained in his type of warfare; and the
devil is his commanding officer. Not
only must we meet a head-on assault
from the enemy, but the more danger-
ous and subtle attack will be by infiltra-
tion, when human termites undertake to
undermine our forces. I believe, my
brethren, the time has come when every
man who holds the priesthood should
figuratively stand himself up against the
wall and look himself over, ask himself
some questions and be honest with his
answers. I may say here, you may as
well be honest when you are talking
to yourself because the man you are
talking to knows who you are and what
you are. There are at least two places
when a man will be honest, and that is
when he is talking to himself and when
he is in his closet talking with God.
Here at least the truth will be distilled.
Let us then examine ourselves and
3H B. BROWN 85
ask what kind of men we are. We
might make a pretty good showing in
public, be fairly successful in business
or in politics; but let each man ask
himself what kind of man are you in
the home, in your business, in your
private life. If you do not like what
you see as you look at yourself, then
do something about it because God will
not hold any man guiltless who simply
confesses his sin and doesn't abandon
it, or who admits his weakness and
doesn't work for strength.
May I pause here to remind all of
us that it matters little what position
we hold, but it matters much what we
do in the position we hold. Brother
Lee referred to Paul's reminder that
there is need for all the parts of the
body. I am thinking of the Church as
the body. No one of us should say or
think at any time, "If I were in some
other place, I could display my superior
ability and faith, but just where I am
I do not get a chance to show what I
can do. If I were a bishop or stake
president or high councilmen or one of
the General Authorities, of course, I
could be something great, but down
here where I am it doesn't amount
to much."
Brethren, when we stand before the
Judgment Bar of God — and I am saying
tonight as the British officer said in 1912,
a judgment day is ahead — when we
stand there, I think we will not be
asked what position we held in the
Church. I think the only question, if
any questions are necessary, will be,
"What did you do with the job assigned
to you?" And if a counselor in an
elders' quorum, or a counselor in the
bishopric, or a man in any other posi-
tion anywhere in the Church can hon-
estly say, "I did the best I could to fill
the position assigned to me," if he can
say that honestly, and if one of the
General Authorities cannot say it hon-
estly, I would rather be the counselor in
the elders' quorum, etc., because I think
the Lord is not going to pay much
attention to any label one may have on
his chest. I don't think the Lord is
much interested in labels. He knows as
we do that labels do not always tell
the truth.
My thought tonight, then, is: Breth-
86
Saturday, September 30
ren, in connection with this program
that has been presented to us tonight,
let not any of us say, "Now they are
giving us something more to do, more
organizations, more committees. Let's
join some other church."
Personally, I thank God for the op-
portunity to work. I am grateful,
among other things, that this, the
Church of Jesus Christ, gives oppor-
tunity to every man and woman and
children as well, incidentally, to par-
ticipate in the work of the Lord. May
I add, there is no position in this
Church that is not bigger than the man
that holds it as there is room for growth
in every position or calling. Every man
should be apprised of that and realize
that in any position in the Church
there is opportunity for any man to
employ all the ability with which the
Lord has blessed him.
We come to you tonight to challenge
you, to warn you that there is a war
now being waged, the most dangerous
and devastating — I am not only speaking
of a war with arms — I am speaking of
an ideological war, a spiritual war, a
war in which the enemy is endeavoring
to enslave the bodies and minds and
souls of men, and for this we must be
prepared.
Let us be loyal to the stakes and
wards, missions and branches to which
we have the honor to belong. Let us
be true to ourselves and true to our
leaders. Again a quick analogy. I
saw instances where junior officers
criticized senior officers because they
stayed far behind the lines and did not
know what was going on in the trenches.
I am speaking of World War I, which
definitely dates me, but I am willing
to take that. Very often the junior
officers were critical of the senior
officers because they did not know there
was a rat hole in a dugout, forgetful of
the fact that the man back there upon
whom rested the total responsibility of
the entire operation had something
other to do than to look at a rat hole.
He must leave that to the man who
happens to be in that dugout.
At the head of our force, we have a
prophet of God, who is working di-
rectly under Jesus the Christ, who joined
issue with Beelzebub when the founda-
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
tion of this world was laid, and Beelze-
bub, the devil, Lucifer, declared then
that he would never rest until he
enslaved the souls of men, and Christ
declared he would never rest until all
were free to "choose their lives and
what they'd be."
We, then, are enlisted in an army
with Christ at the head and a living
prophet through whom he directs his
work. Let us be loyal to them, true to
ourselves, and let each of us do the
job assigned to him in the place where
he is asked to work to the best of his
ability.
I want to assure you that I know what
it means to be asked to do a job a
thousand times too big for me, and yet
I know too that God can take any one
of us and do anything he wants to do
through us. Let us not spend time ask-
ing the Lord to do something for us
when he is waiting and anxious to do
something through us. Let us not for-
get that the priesthood we bear is not
in us as individuals, but the power of it
comes through us. Let us keep our-
selves in such condition that that power
can be transmitted. Let us go forward
as President McKay admonished us at
the beginning of this conference and
be unafraid. May we have courage and
fortitude and faith and go forward with
the knowledge that though we will un-
doubtedly have to meet many difficult
things, with God's help we need not
fear.
I like one verse of the "Battle Hymn
of the Republic."
"He has sounded forth the trumpet that
shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men be-
fore His judgment-seat:
O, be swift, my soul, to answer Him!
Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on."
(Julia Ward Howe.)
God bless you, my brethren. I thank
you for your support. I want to tell
you from intimate association that we
have at the head of the Church today
one of the greatest leaders of the Dis-
pensation of the Fulness of Times. God
has honored him, and we who sit next
to him day by day see the work of the
PRESIDENT HENRY D. MOYLE
87
Church being outlined, organized, and
going forward under the inspiration of
heaven. I testify to you that he is the
prophet of God, and that these men
who are associated here with us are
true and loyal to him.
I leave you my testimony of the
restoration of the gospel, and I want
you to know that the President and all
of us have confidence in you, that you
will not let us down nor be untrue to
yourselves nor become traitors to the
cause. Furthermore, you may be sure
that ultimately righteousness will tri-
umph. Truth will prevail. The Church
has been organized and set up. It is
the kingdom of God, and it will never
be thrown down.
God bless us to do our part. To this
end I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
President David O. McKay:
President Henry D. Moyle will be
our next speaker.
PRESIDENT HENRY D. MOYLE
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
My dear brethren, I am sure that one of
the purposes for which this great corre-
lation program is organized and one of
the great results which will be accom-
plished by it, will be the elimination,
so far as that is possible, of sin and
transgression within the Church.
This week many of us read headlines
in the Deseret News which disclosed
that all was not well. The article re-
vealed more of the details of the
offenses of sex deviates among teen-
agers than prudence might dictate, but
be that as it may, the news is shocking
and alarming. We might not have paid
as much attention to this news as we
did, were it not for the fact that from
other sources transgressions within the
Church are brought to our attention.
We ask ourselves constantly the ques-
tion, where have we failed? We have
had these young people from the time
of their birth until the time of their
transgression. Or, if we lost them
somewhere along the way, then we have
to ask ourselves the question, why did
we lose them?
Our programs in our auxiliary organ-
izations and in our priesthood quorums,
we look upon as excellent. Good as
they are, when this correlation program
gets into full swing, we will find a tre-
mendous improvement. The principle
of improvement seems to be one of the
cardinal principles of the gospel.
There are two things that I should
like to discuss in this connection: first
is the question of interviews. It is in-
teresting because there are nearly
10,000 missionaries in the world today
and every one of them, I hope we have
not a single exception, have been inter-
viewed by their bishop, their stake
president, a General Authority, and also
their mission president. But it is these
initial interviews that concern us most.
Do young men come to their bishops,
preparatory to going on a mission, for
an interview without having been
previously interviewed upon many occa-
sions by their bishops? Every young
man who comes to a stake president to
be interviewed for his worthiness to
receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and
be ordained to the office of an elder
should know exactly what is expected
of him and what he may expect by way
of interrogatories which he will be ex-
pected to answer. If this is not the
case, then we have failed somewhere
along the line. I have a feeling that
some of our failure can be attributed to
the fact that these young men and
young women have not been inter-
viewed as frequently or as thoroughly
as they should be in their various wards.
You have received word from the
brethren as they have visited your
stakes, that it is not only proper but it
is essential that candidates for baptism
at the age of eight should be inter-
viewed. It is inconceivable that a bishop
would present a boy's name at the age
of twelve to be ordained a deacon, with-
out having given that boy sufficient of
his personal time and attention to know
88
Saturday, September 30
the state of mind of the boy as well as
his past record, to know what the likeli-
hood is of his carrying on in righteous-
ness to manhood.
Then when he is to be ordained a
teacher and a priest, there should be
other interviews, each one a little more
intimate, each one a little more em-
bracing, and then we come to this all-
important interview to ascertain whether
or not he has conducted himself as
a holder of the Aaronic Priesthood to
be worthy now to receive the Higher
Priesthood, to go to the house of the
Lord to receive his endowments, to go
on a mission, to be married, whatever
the reason may be. The bishop should
never let that opportunity pass without
informing himself as thoroughly as it is
possible for him to do of the condition,
spiritually, temporally, morally, of this
young man.
In all of these interviews and many
others, because we are always calling
young men and young women to as-
sume responsibilities in the Church,
young men to become presidents of
their deacons quorum or members of
presidencies of the teachers quorum,
or the bishop calls in young men to
assist in the work of the priests quorum,
we ought to be looking for opportuni-
ties to interview, rather than to mini-
mize the number. In each instance we
ought to say to ourselves, this interview
is not being conducted to inform me
as to the worthiness of this young man
to do this, that, or the other, alone, but
it is vitally important that in this inter-
view I should come away knowing this
young man is fully aware of his posi-
tion and what is expected of him.
There have been bishops in the
Church who have succeeded over the
years in never missing a young man,
having practically a hundred percent
record of his young men in his ward
going into the mission field when they
reach the appropriate age. That means
that all bishops could approximate that,
and that in place of having one out of
three or one out of four go on a mission,
we would have at least fifty percent; we
feel that ought to be the minimum, and
the other fifty percent we would like to
have marry in the temple.
Now, if perchance, such a result can
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
be accomplished by interviews, by the
bishop giving to these young people of
himself, his time, knowing them inti-
mately and letting them in a sense feel
an intimacy towards the bishop, then
certainly it becomes rather a simple
process, if we but devote ourselves
thereto, and if perchance we do not get
all the boys, it certainly would be an
improvement on the present. I just
take these two categories of activity,
going on a mission and getting married
in the temple. I just have a feeling
that that responsibility rests peculiarly
between the bishop and his young
people.
By that I do not mean that the entire
responsibility rests upon the bishop. It
is the bishop's duty to see to it, first and
foremost, that the home in which that
young man lives is an environment in
which he can grow and develop
spiritually, and that brings me to the
second phase of the work, and that is
our ward teaching.
I have known ward teachers who have
felt pretty sorry about the fact that
having failed to visit a home rather
regularly — I mean they have been
regular in failing to visit the home —
they suddenly find that out of that
home has come a boy who has seriously
transgressed.
We cannot help saying to ourselves,
I wonder if I had gone to that home
more often, if I had known a little
more about the family, about what the
boy was thinking, I would have been
better prepared as a ward teacher, in
turn to report to the bishop the status,
the condition, the spirituality, the
weakness, if you please, of that family,
in order that the bishop might know
which of the families in his ward would
justify the greatest effort upon his part.
This is a glorious organization we
have in the Church. I know from past
experience that no matter how busy
you may be as a bishop or as a stake
president, that it is possible for you to
accomplish all that you should accom-
plish, if you but organize so to do, and
with the help and the tools that this
co-ordinating committee is now going
to furnish us, I am sure it is going to
be made clearer to us just how an or-
ganization can function more effectively.
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
89
Let me say that I had one experi-
ence — if you will forgive me for
mentioning it, personally — but my stake
was out in the country. President Faust
who gave the opening prayer this
evening is president of the Cottonwood
Stake over which I once presided. And
my work was in the city. My prede-
cessor lived in the county, had plenty
of time, and I doubt very much that he
ever missed a funeral. He realized that
it was an opportune time, when there is
grief in the family, to show the interest
of the Church in that hour of their
bereavement, so he was very diligent,
and I said to myself, "What in the
world can I do? Here I am in court
nearly every day."
Well, I had a stake clerk who lived
there in the center of the city of Mur-
ray; he had a business; he knew every-
body in the stake and had intimate
contact with most of them in his store,
so I said to him, "Will you please keep
track of every funeral, every death in
the stake?" And I was rather fortunate,
because I had 400 high priests — it was
one of the old stakes. I think there are
thirteen or fourteen stakes now covering
the same territory as the one did in the
twenties.
And do you know that we would call
upon one of those high priests to attend
every funeral, to contact the family, to
tell them they came as a representative
of the stake presidency and the high
council and brought their greetings and
their sympathy? They would attend
the funeral and in most cases speak,
and it was not uncommon for families
in the stake to tell me that they were
so happy that brother so-and-so had
come representing us, that they were
sure they got as much from him as they
would have if the stake president had
come himself.
But the important thing was that the
work was done, and there was not a
high priest who received that kind of
call but what felt proud that his stake
president would remember him and
would call upon him to represent him.
That is true of ward teaching. Every
ward teacher is a representative of the
bishop. Think what a bishop can do
if he puts all of his resources to work.
You know, in the early days of the
welfare program, we had a picture of
the bishop and his two counselors with
their arms outstretched trying to hold
up the meetinghouse or move it, and it
presented an impossible situation. And
the next film showed the entire priest-
hood of the ward under that meeting-
house, and they walked along with it
and bounced it as they went, a rela-
tively easy job.
Well, now, brethren, let us go for-
ward in this priesthood work in the
wards and in the stakes and see if we
cannot touch every one of the lives
that come under our presidency and
touch them for good.
That the Lord will help us so to do,
I pray humbly, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
As I listened to the very able presenta-
tion of the scholarly plan to correlate
the studies of the priesthood and aux-
iliaries of the entire Church, I thought
what is the end and purpose of all this?
I visualized the fact that 30,000 or
40,000 men and boys in priesthood as-
semblies this night constitute an organ-
ization in the world with one great
purpose in mind, and that is to fulfill
or respond to the call that Jesus gave
Nicodemus: ". . . Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God." And Nicodemus wondered, he
could not comprehend it. And Jesus
answered, ". . . Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God."
(John 3:3, 5.)
In that first sentence, "Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the king-
dom of God," we have the answer to the
end and purpose of this great plan — to
have our boys and our girls realize that
there is a higher purpose in life than
yielding to the pleasures and tempta-
tions of the flesh.
In our conference today we had a
great sermon — two sermons in fact — on
the Holy Ghost and what it means.
90
Saturday, September 30
Associate with those words of Jesus to
Nicodemus the words of Peter after he
had been ordained and was guiding
men of his associates to a higher life.
He wrote on one occasion: ". . . that we
might be partakers of the divine na-
ture." (2 Peter 1:4.) He realized what
it means to be in touch with the spirit-
ual, to rise above the temporal, the
sensual and partake of the divine Spirit
of God.
Fellow men of the priesthood, that is
the purpose of making us more capable
of responding to the Spirit and subduing
the sensual.
I am glad that Elder Lee referred to
the ordaining of members of the First
Council of the Seventy as high priests.
There seem to be a number of men of
the priesthood in the Church who are
wondering about it, because they know
that the Prophet said that what was
going on in the early days of making
high priests of seventies, was not in
accordance with the will of God.
Do you know what they were doing?
Before a man was ordained a member
of the First Council of the Seventy he
was ordained a high priest. This prac-
tice, the Prophet said, was not in ac-
cordance with the will of the Lord.
It should be sufficient for you who have
the Spirit of the Lord to know that the
work today is required of those mem-
bers of the First Council of the Seventy
which needs the High Priesthood. They
do not join the high priests' quorum,
but they are sent out by the Council of
the Twelve Apostles to set in order the
Church in the stakes and missions,
and they should be given authority to
set apart a president of a stake, a high
councilman, a bishop of a ward, which
requires the High Priesthood.
The Lord has never said, nor has
the Prophet Joseph, that that is against
the will of the Lord. These men are
sent out now to take care of 300 and
some odd stakes, and they are given the
authority as members of the First Coun-
cil of the Seventy to attend to anything
necessary in order to set in order the
affairs of the stake and the ward, and
that is in accordance with the will of
the Lord.
The members of the First Council of
the Seventy are now given the authority
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Second Day
of high priests to set in order all things
pertaining to the stake and the wards,
under the direction of the Twelve
Apostles.
There come to my mind now the
following words of the writer, John
Dryden, which I think are applicable
to the spiritual part of our work, getting
the Holy Ghost, and rising above the
temporal, selfish, envious things which
are contrary to the calling of any high
priest, seventy, elder, priest, teacher, or
deacon in the Church:
"Dim as the borrowed beams of
moon and stars to lonely, weary,
wandering travelers, is reason to the
soul." Notice that comparison — "Dim
as the borrowed rays of moon and stars
to lonely, weary, wandering travelers"
(on the earth) "is reason to the soul.
And as on high those rolling fires dis-
cover but the sky, not guide us here,
so Reason's glimmering ray was lent,
not to assure our doubtful way, but
lead us upward to a brighter day."
That day is faith, a realization of the
enjoyment of the Spirit of God. What
the sun is to the earth, so that Holy
Spirit is to man, and the 40,000 assem-
bled tonight — or 30,000, whatever the
number may be — are entitled — each in-
dividual is entitled to that glorious
light of the Holy Spirit.
That is why we like to have every
young man and every young woman
utilize his or her time intelligently,
usefully, to bring the soul in harmony
with the spirit, that we all might be
partakers of God's Spirit, partakers of
his divine nature. That is the privilege,
fellow workers, of all who hold the
priesthood of God.
I think this has been a glorious meet-
ing — one of the best, if not the best,
ever held in the Church. There is a
glorious future. Our minds have been
led to visualize the opportunities of the
priesthood, and to be true to the
priesthood, to be loyal to it, that we
might in our own little way, give to
the world the spiritual message of the
gospel of Christ. People are denying
his divinity. Nations are now taught —
young boys and babes of forty years ago
are now men forty years of age, who,
during those forty years have been
taught that God does not exist; that
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
91
Christ was not an eternal being. Poor
deluded men and women!
Your responsibility and mine, of
everyone who holds the priesthood of
God, is the responsibility of letting men
see that light which is to the spirit what
the vital sun is to the old earth, "not
as borrowed beams of moon and stars,"
but as the sunlight of the Spirit.
God help us to discharge our responsi-
bilities acceptably before him, I pray
in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
We have a partial report of the at-
tendance here on the Grounds. In the
Salt Lake Tabernacle: 7,641. Assembly
Hall and Barratt Hall: 2,210. A total
on these two blocks of 9,851. Last
October there were 9,911 on these
Grounds. And in April, 1961, 10,778.
The total tonight is about the same —
9,851.
There is one more matter, brethren.
I think that one of the greatest mani-
festations of faith and devotion that we
have in the Church is the willingness of
men and women to contribute of their
time and their means to the erection of
needed chapels — not only in stakes, but
throughout the missions. We have re-
ports from some of our stake presidencies
and bishops of wards that move us to
tears of the devotion of women, men,
and children, and members of the
Lesser Priesthood to their duties in erect-
ing suitable chapels and furnishing
them, as perhaps never before in the
history of the Church-
But we have received word that some
bishops are rather over-eager in asking
these members of the Church to con-
tribute beyond their means. In one
case recently we heard of a bishop who
visited a family and told them that their
assessment was such and such an
amount. They did not have it. The
man had lost his work, and unfortun-
ately one of their children was stricken
with polio. And this unwise bishop
said, "Well, we want to finish our
building and get it out of debt. We
recommend that you borrow the sum
from the bank and pay your assessment."
I wish, and I am speaking for my
associates in the Presidency and the
Twelve, that such a thing as that would
never happen in the Church. Con-
tributions to chapels, to ward mainte-
nance, or free-will offerings are left
entirely to members of the wards to
do as best they can, and no officer
should require any member to go to
a bank to borrow his so-called assess-
ment.
I have one or two matters here, but
we shall not occupy more time tonight.
Keep the faith that is within you.
Make your baptism into this Church
real by burying the old life, with all
its vanity, indulgence, jealousy, hatred,
and rise from the waters of baptism in a
newness of life, as Christ was raised
from the grave. What a beautiful com-
parison! And in the newness of life
let us, as men of the Priesthood, seek
as Peter of old, to be a partaker of his
divine spirit, I pray in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
The Male Chorus of the Tabernacle
Choir will now sing, "I Need Thee
Every Hour," conducted by Richard P.
Condie. Elder Howard D. Knight,
president of the Parowan Stake, will
offer the benediction, after which this
Conference will be adjourned until ten
o'clock tomorrow morning.
Brother Condie, and brethren of the
Choir, we thank you for your presence
here tonight, and your inspiring music.
We have said that before, but you are
better tonight than ever. We have
enjoyed you and thank you all.
The session at ten o'clock Sunday
morning will be broadcast as a public
service over television and radio stations
throughout the West. The Tabernacle
Choir Broadcast will be from 8:30 to
9:00 a.m. Those desiring to attend the
Choir Broadcast must be in their seats
at 8:15 a.m.
As thousands leave this great Priest-
hood Meeting tonight, let us keep in
mind the admonition that is constantly
being given us to drive carefully. Let
us have courtesy in the city and on the
highway.
"I Need Thee Every Hour," and
President Howard D. Knight of the
Parowan Stake will offer the benediction.
The Male Chorus sang the hymn,
"I Need Thee Every Hour."
President Howard Dean Knight of the
92
Sunday, October 1
Parowan Stake
prayer.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Third Day
Conference adjourned until Sunday
morning, Oct. 1, at 10:00.
offered the closing
THIRD DAY
MORNING MEETING
Sunday morning, October 1.
Conference reconvened at 10:00
o'clock a.m., with President David O.
McKay presiding and conducting the
services.
(The Tabernacle Choir and Organ
Broadcast was presented in the Taber-
nacle from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. See pages
126 to 127 for a full report of this
broadcast.)
The music for this session of the
Conference was furnished by the Salt
Lake Tabernacle Choir, under the direc-
tion of Richard P. Condie. Alexander
Schreiner was at the organ.
President David O. McKay made the
following introductory remarks:
President David O. McKay:
In order that the large television and
radio audiences here and on the western
coast may hear the speakers and music
of this, the sixth session of the One
Hundred Thirty-first Semi-annual Con-
ference of the Church, we shall postpone
the usual announcements until later in
the session.
The General Priesthood Conference
was held last evening in this Taber-
nacle, and there were nearly 300 groups
throughout the United States and
Canada and other parts of the Church.
We received only a partial report of
the total attendance at these large as-
semblies. Here in the Tabernacle, the
Assembly Hall and Barratt Hall, we
had a total attendance of 9,851 mem-
bers of the Priesthood. Last April,
we had a total attendance of 10,778 in
these places. I do not know that we
can get you a total report during the
Conference today. It would cost about
a thousand dollars to receive it by tele-
phone, but we will save that money,
Scotsman-like.
Elder Harold B. Lee and Elder
Richard L. Evans were the speakers,
presenting a correlation plan to the en-
tire Priesthood of the Church, with
which all the presiding officers in the
Priesthood and in the auxiliary organ-
izations will become more fully ac-
quainted.
The Tabernacle Choir under the di-
rection of Richard P. Condie, with
Alexander Schreiner at the organ, will
open these services by singing, "Arise,
Shine For Thy Light Is Come." After
the singing, the invocation will be of-
fered by President Wilbum C. West of
the Emigration Stake.
Singing by the Tabernacle Choir,
"Arise, Shine For Thy Light Is Come."
Elder Wilburn C. West, president of
the Emigration Stake, offered the open-
ing prayer.
President David O. McKay:
President Wilburn C. West of the
Emigration Stake offered the invocation.
The Tabernacle Choir will now sing,
"All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name,"
with Richard P. Condie conducting, and
with Alexander Schreiner at the organ.
The Choir sang an anthem, "All
Hail The Power of Jesus' Name."
President David O. McKay:
The first speaker this morning will be
President Hugh B. Brown of the First
Presidency of the Church. He will be
followed by Bishop Carl W. Buehner.
93
PRESIDENT HUGH B. BROWN
Counselor in the First Presidency
I am sure we all respond from the depths
of our being to that glorious rendition,
"Crown Him Lord of All," rendered as
only the Tabernacle Choir, I think,
could sing it.
My brothers and sisters, and in that
salutation I should like to include all
who are listening regardless of their
church affiliation, because we are con-
vinced that we are brothers and sisters.
We believe in the universal brotherhood
of man under the Fatherhood of God.
As this is the first conference since
my change of status in the Church, I
should like to take this opportunity to
express publicly to President McKay
and his associates my sincere apprecia-
tion for the confidence which prompted
them to submit my name for your ap-
proval, and I wish to thank you mem-
bers of the Church for your confidence
in their judgment. I pledge only that
I shall do my level best to make that
judgment good and to that end humbly
invoke divine guidance and your in-
dulgence. I shall need your prayers
of faith.
But we are speaking this morning
not alone to Church members. We are
advised that perhaps more than fifty
percent of those attending in person or
through the use of modern media are
friends of the Church who are visiting
us. We appreciate your interest — we
extend to you a hearty welcome. Your
attendance seems to indicate that you
have heard something about the Mor-
mons and perhaps would like to know
more. We should like to respond briefly
to your implied inquiry about the
Church. We shall avoid dogmatism,
for that ordinarily brings antagonism.
We simply invite you, our friends, this
morning to, as Isaiah said, "Come, and
let us reason together." (Isaiah 1:18.)
We respect all men in their religious
beliefs, but the divergent beliefs and
multiplicity of creeds have, through the
centuries, been the cause of much con-
fusion and concern. The condition of
the world religiously is stated in the
Catholic Encyclopedia, from which I
quote the following:
"A Babel of religious organizations all
proclaim themselves to be the Church
of Christ. Their doctrines are con-
tradictory and precisely in so far as one
of them regards the doctrine which it
teaches as vital, it declares those of rival
bodies to be misleading and pernicious."
Now, while we do not agree that the
beliefs of others are necessarily per-
nicious, we do think it regrettable that
the original Church of Jesus Christ, as
outlined in the New Testament, has
been broken up into so many creeds.
We believe the Lord's house should be
a house of order, not divided against
itself.
The question is often asked, what are
some of the distinguishing characteris-
tics of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints? What, if anything,
has this Church to offer which is new?
Would it be worthwhile to take a closer
look at Mormonism?
Though there are many fundamental
differences between this Church and
others, we must today be content to
mention — and that only briefly — just
one of them. We refer to our faith in
continued revelation from God to men.
It seems somewhat paradoxical that this
fundamental doctrine of the Church
should make it unique or distinguish it
from others, inasmuch as in all dispen-
sations of the gospel current revelation
has been the sustaining power, the
vivifying spirit of the divine Church.
In a concrete statement of beliefs
known as the Articles of Faith, we de-
clare our faith in all that God has re-
vealed, all that he does now reveal, and
we believe that he will yet reveal many
great and important things.
History proves that when the spirit
or gift of revelation is withdrawn from
the Church there is nothing but a dead
form left and men are prone to worship
God with their lips and honor him
with their mouths, but, because there
is no communication and therefore no
understanding, their hearts are far from
him.
The things of God can only be under-
stood by the Spirit of God and the
94
Sunday, October 1
Spirit of God is a revealing spirit. The
Master promised before he left the earth
to send another Comforter which would
lead men into all truth. Divine revela-
tion has always been a characteristic of
the living Church — it is absolutely es-
sential to its continued existence in an
organized state on the earth.
You remember the Prophet Amos said,
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing,
but he revealeth his secret unto his
servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7.)
And in Proverbs we read, "Where
there is no vision, the people perish: . . ."
(Prov. 29:18.)
We have ample scriptural authority
for our declaration that a man must be
called of God by prophecy and by the
laying on of hands by men of authority
to preach the gospel and administer its
ordinances. The Apostle Paul said,
"And no man taketh this honour unto
himself, but he that is called of God,
as was Aaron." (Hebrew 5:4.) And
Aaron was called by direct revelation
through Moses. When revelation ceases,
people dwindle in unbelief, and not only
the people but also the Church aposta-
tizes in the absence of inspired
leadership.
That is exactly what happened in the
primitive church, and that situation was
a harbinger of a universal apostasy, of
which the Church of England speaks
in its "Homily against Peril of Idolatry,"
as follows: "So that laity and clergy,
learned and unlearned, all ages, sects,
and degrees of men, women, and chil-
dren of whole Christendom — an hor-
rible and most dreadful thing to think —
have been at once drowned in abomi-
nable idolatry; of all other vices most
detested of God and most damnable to
man; and that by the space of eight
hundred years and more."
Without continued revelation there
can be no authorized ministry on the
earth, and without authorized officers
there can be no Church of Christ. If
some say there is no revelation and will
not be further revelation from God, we
ask, "Why not? Has God lost the power
to reveal his mind and will to men?"
Of course, to so state is tantamount to
blasphemy. Do we not need revelation
or word from God? I ask you to con-
sider the condition of the world and
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Third Day
note the dire need of the world for some
divine guidance and direction.
Well, then, if God could reveal, and
we need revelation, is the fault with
man? Have we lost the gift or the
faith or the understanding that will
enable us to receive revelation? Cer-
tainly it would be more modest of us
to admit the fault in ourselves than to
blame God for not speaking, if he does
not speak. Or perhaps there may be
some jamming of the messages by the
enemy, as a result of which some have
been led to believe that there is no
power that can transmit. We ask, in
radio or television language, "Has the
broadcasting station gone out of busi-
ness or broken down, or are there no
receiving sets?"
So long as men believe there can be
no revelation, they will make no at-
tempt to tune in. They will lose their
faith and will no longer look up and
listen. Some even deny there is need
for revelation, but the daily press chal-
lenges that statement. In this imperiled,
divided, and chaotic world the need
for God's help was never more appar-
ent and urgent
An English divine recently said. "Oh,
that some man would arise who could
authoritatively say to the world, 'Thus
saith the Lord!' "
Is it possible, our friends, that religion
is the one department of human inter-
est, investigation, and research where
progress is impossible? Would any
professor say to his class in chemistry,
astronomy, physics, or geology, that no
further discovery or revelation of scien-
tific truth is possible? Is religion the
only human interest which is static and
quiescent? Did Christ leave his Church
leaderless and intend it to continue so
to be?
For ourselves, because of our faith in
the universal and unchangeable love and
justice of God, we cannot believe that
his Church in one dispensation would
be blessed and led by what in television
parlance might be termed "live" revela-
tion and in another dispensation leave a
distraught and imperiled world with only
the recorded messages of ancient proph-
ets, some of which messages were for
specific purposes and under special
circumstances. We believe that revela-
PRESIDENT HUGH B. BROWN
95
tion both "live" and recorded is now and
will continue to be available to men.
Whenever the Lord has recognized his
Church, he has given through his
prophets messages of warning, instruc-
tion and hope.
When we say that we believe all that
God has revealed, we declare our faith
in the scriptures. We believe the Bible
to be a repository of divine truth and
that it is authoritative, though not
beyond the need for interpretation and
proper translation and, therefore, we
say, when we declare our faith in the
Bible, "as far as it is translated cor-
rectly." When we declare that we be-
lieve that God does now reveal, that he
still speaks through his prophets, and
that his word is scripture whenever and
wherever given, when we make this
statement we are simply teaching the
gospel of Jesus Christ and declaring as
true the Judeo-Christian religion.
We sometimes meet with skepticism
when we say that he still reveals, but
let us paraphrase the words of Paul for
a moment. Why should it be thought
a thing incredible that God will do
what he has promised to do? If time
would permit we could take you
through the scriptures from Genesis to
Revelation and show the promises of
God with respect to the latter days.
Why should it be thought incredible not
only that he would keep his promise
but that he would continue to do what
he has done through all the dispensa-
tions of the gospel from the beginning?
The Church of Jesus Christ was estab-
lished and is now directed by revelation,
and that fact is largely responsible for
the appeal which this new Church
makes, and when I say "new," I wish to
emphasize that to us it is not new but a
restoration of that which was. The true
Church of Christ is not a blind alley,
it is an open thoroughfare, where men
many confidently pursue truth in the
light of revelation. That the Church
is progressive and responsive to revealed
truth is evidenced by our further
declaration that we believe that God
will yet reveal many great and im-
portant things.
This Church, our friends, is not com-
mitted to any formal or inflexible creed,
but its members are taught to believe in
and live by the revelations of the past
and present and thus prepare themselves
for the revelations yet to come. Our
concepts and even our faith must be
held subject to new light. The present
and urgent need for continued revela-
tion in this age of communism, atheism,
godlessness, the spirit of the anti-Christ
become more apparent when we realize
that revelation gives us our most con-
clusive proof that there is a Divine
Being — and how the world needs to
know of him!
In an age when hundreds of millions
of people are being systematically in-
doctrinated with the abominable doc-
trines of communism which are that
there is no God, religion is an opiate,
Christ is a myth; surely in the midst of
such determined, persistent, and relent-
less attacks from the enemy, we may
expect from God our Father some direc-
tion, and for that direction we constantly
pray.
But our message is this, our friends,
God has spoken from the heavens; com-
munication between heaven and earth
is still possible; the lines are open! That
is the challenging message of Mormon-
ism, it is an ensign to the nations,
a message of hope to an imperiled
world. If we are to exercise saving
faith and accompany it with works and,
of course, "faith without works is dead,"
we must know something of him, of
his existence, his personality, his laws,
his purposes with respect to man, and
realize that we are, in fact, his children,
related to him. He said, "And this is
life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3.)
We do not say that God is immaterial
and incomprehensible and without a
body. Rather we say he is approach-
able as our Father. Now, revelation
may come through dreams or visions,
the visitation of angels, or, on occasion
such as with Moses, by face-to-face com-
munication with the Lord. You remem-
ber the Lord spoke to Adam, not only
while he was in the Garden of Eden,
but after he was cast out. He spoke
to other patriarchs and prophets through
the ages. He spoke to Enoch, who was
called "The Seventh from Adam," and
it is said that he. was translated because
96
Sunday, October 1
he was especially favored with the pres-
ence of the Lord. The record reads,
"And Enoch walked with God: and he
was not; for God took him." (Genesis
5:24.)
The Lord by revelation warned Noah
of the coming flood. He talked with
Abraham and told him to leave his
country and go into a new land and
gave him some promises with respect
to his posterity. By revelation he com-
missioned Moses to go into Egypt, and
under God's personal direction he re-
leased the children of Israel from the
bondage of the Egyptians.
So we may trace the line of revelators,
men who have stood, each in his time,
as the medium through whom God
speaks to his people, from Moses to
Joshua, through the Judges, on to David
and Solomon and down to Zachariah
and Malachi. Christ, himself, came to
this world to reveal God to men, and he
himself was led and directed by revela-
tion from his Father while he dwelt
on this earth.
The Lord, as you know, revealed to
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist,
what was to happen, and you remember
what happened to Zacharias because
of his lack of belief. The Lord revealed
to Mary that she was blessed among
women, that she should bring forth a
son and call his name Jesus. (Luke
1:28, 31.) Christ himself said: "For
I have not spoken of myself; but the
Father which sent me, he gave me
a commandment, what I should say,
and what I should speak.
"And I know that his commandment
is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak
therefore, even as the father said unto
me, so I speak." (John 12:49-50.)
The apostles in the Meridian of Time
were in touch with the heavens by
revelation. Note what Paul says:
"But God hath revealed them [divine
truths] unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God.
"For what man knoweth the things
of a man, save the spirit of man which
is in him? even so the things of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God." (1 Corinthians 2:10-11.)
You remember John, on the Isle of
Patmos, wrote the book of Revelation,
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Third Day
and, incidentally, this is sometimes
called the Apocalypse, and that means
in Greek "revelation." This is what he
wrote in the first chapter of his book — it
was not written of his own wisdom:
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him [speaking
of himself], to shew unto his servants
things which must shortly come to pass;
and he sent and signified it by his
angel unto his servant John:" (Revela-
tion 1:1.)
The scriptures, then, are not only
replete with evidence, but conclusive
in proving that God does and always
has, whenever there has been a dispen-
sation of the gospel upon the earth, been
in touch with his people.
Remember Paul said this, and he is
speaking now of our time:
"That in the dispensation of the ful-
ness of times he might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which
are in heaven, and which are on the
earth; even in him: . . ." (Ephesians
1:10.)
From the scriptures cited and many
others, it seems evident that revelation
from God to man has been a vital
characteristic, and standard procedure
in all dispensations of the gospel. All
the prophets and leaders of ancient
times were led, directed, chosen, inspired
by God himself through revelation.
Eusebius records what happened after
the apostles had been slain and when
no authoritative answers could be given.
He writes, "When the sacred choir of
apostles became extinct and the genera-
tion of those that had been privileged
to hear their inspired wisdom had
passed away, then also the combinations
of impious error arose by the fraud and
delusions of false teachers. These, as
there were none of the apostles left,
henceforth attempted without shame to
preach their doctrine against the Gospel
of truth."
And Mosheim reminds us that both
Jews and heathens were accustomed to
a vast variety of pompous and magnifi-
cent ceremonies in their religious serv-
ice. All the records of the second
century mention the multiplication of
rites and ceremonies in the Christian
Church. "But," you ask, "were these
the times that have been?" Some of you
PRESIDENT HUGH B. BROWN
97
may say, "We can believe in revelation
in Adam's day and in the days of Moses,
in the days of Christ, in the days of the
apostles, but not now."
Is there any indication that we might,
with reason, expect some word from
God? Hear John's testimony as he
spoke of things that were to come in the
latter days. He said:
"And I saw another angel fly in the
midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell
on the earth, and to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue, and people,
"Saying with a loud voice, Fear God,
and give glory to him: for the hour of
his judgment is come: . . ." (Revelation
14:6-7.)
That, my dear friends, is a prophetic
promise of revelation in our time. The
Church today is founded on the rock of
revelation as securely as it was in the
days of Peter when Christ said to him,
after Peter had spoken of his knowledge
of him,
". . . upon this rock I will build my
church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18.)
We think we are justified in antici-
pating future revelation, and we believe
that it will be surpassing in importance
and glorious fulness anything that has
yet been revealed. We believe that he
will continue to reveal himself as long
as man continues his probation here
on earth.
Now, you friends of ours probably
ask, "What particular revelation is the
one on which you found your Church?"
Time will not permit, of course, a com-
plete answer to that, but humbly, and
from the very center of my heart, I say
to you, our friends, and to you mem-
bers of the Church, God has restored
the gospel of Jesus Christ and there was
a great revelation, one of the greatest of
all time, when the Father and the Son,
anticipating our very day and the events
of these times, appeared to a man.
They were personal Beings; they were
separate and distinct; they were in form
like man, thus proving the first scrip-
ture in Genesis, "So God created man
in his own image, . . ." (Gen. 1:27.)
They spoke to him. Other revelations
followed. The whole message of Mor-
monism centers around the life and mis-
sion of Jesus the Christ, and we pro-
claim to the world in contradiction to
the hellish doctrine of communism, God
does live. He still speaks to men.
There are prophets on the earth.
If that statement is true, it is the
greatest message that has come to this
earth since Christ ascended into heaven
because it is a message of his coming,
and if it is true, all of you should know
it. That it is true we humbly testify.
We ask you to listen, to read, to pray
— ask God for guidance — and we prom-
ise you, paraphrasing the Prophet
Moroni, that if you will ask of God in
faith in the name of Jesus Christ,
whether what we declare is true, he will
reveal the truth of it unto you by the
power of the Holy Ghost.
We believe this is the message for
which the world has been waiting. We
declare it is the very truth of God, and
for my own self I bear witness to that
effect and say to you in humility, but
without any equivocation, by the same
power and authority with which Peter
spoke, I say, with him, "Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God."
(Matt. 16:16.) I know this to be true,
and I plead with men everywhere to
hearken; for it is a message from the
heavens, to which I testify in the name
of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
President Hugh B. Brown, Counselor
in the First Presidency of the Church,
has just spoken to us. We hope that
all the television sets and radios that
were tuned in along the West Coast,
in the Northwest, and throughout the
nation, heard President Brown's address.
Bishop Carl W. Buehner will now
speak to us. He will be followed by
Elder Henry D. Taylor.
Sunday, October 1
GENERAL CONFERENCE
BISHOP CARL W. BUEHNER
Of the Presiding Bishopric
Third Day
President Brown began his address by
saying this is the first conference since
the change of his status, and I could
well begin by saying this is the last
conference since the change of my status
with the General Authorities of the
Church; but I am very happy and very
joyous in the wonderful and marvelous
experience that I have had, and I have
discovered there is something wonderful
in being released. I have had hundreds
of people come to me and embrace me,
tell me how much they loved me, how
much they appreciated me, and how
much I am going to be missed. I would
never have known about this if I had
not been released.
When I was sustained as the second
counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, I
remember saying to the Church that I
pledged my wholehearted support to
Bishop Wirthlin, Bishop Isaacson, and
to the leaders of the Church; and I think
to the best of my ability and at least
in a reasonable measure, I have accom-
plished this. I have enjoyed my work
so much. Bishop Wirthlin is a great
man, a man of integrity, a man of
honesty, a man whose word was good all
the time, and it is to Bishop Wirthlin
that I owe the great honor that came to
me, since he is the man who asked that
I serve with him as a counselor in the
Presiding Bishopric.
I have enjoyed, of course, with him,
the labors with Bishop Isaacson; and
we have had a great time together. We
have been in many council meetings.
We have been on our knees many
times, invoking the blessings of the
Almighty in the great responsibilities
that are those of members of the Pre-
siding Bishopric.
We love the boys and the men of the
Church who hold the Aaronic Priest-
hood and the great army of men who
have been serving as ward teachers —
160,000 of them in the Church now.
There are many things that bring great
rewards through service in this great
Church.
When my brothers heard that I had
been asked to become a member of the
Presiding Bishopric, they said, "We are
proud of you. You go and assume those
responsibilities, and we will run the
business. We will keep you on the
payroll." They have been wonderful,
and I appreciate this.
All along the line, people have been
so grand. I am so grateful for all of
the marvelous blessings that have come
to me.
I should now like to make a few
acknowledgments: I have had the full
support of a loyal and loving wife. She
has been a Church widow if there has
ever been one. My children are all
married, and each has a home of his
own. Therefore, my wife has been
home many, many days alone. I feel
she will welcome this release. She has
already thought of many things we can
now do, and my children have already
called and said, "Dad, we can get to-
gether now and do some of the things
we have not been able to do in the past
years." So, the future looks wonderful,
I can see this. I appreciate my family.
My four children were all married in
the temple. Between them I have six-
teen grandchildren. They and their
companions have never embarrassed me
for one minute. They are all active and
devoted to the Church. One cannot
help loving children and grandchildren
like these. So, you see, the Lord has
been good to me all along the line.
I had wonderful parents. They have
been gone for twenty-seven years. They
did not have very much so far as things
of this world are concerned, but they
had great faith in the gospel and a
strong testimony. Certainly, we should
be good children, having had parents
like these and having been trained in a
home where such great faith was ex-
hibited all the time.
I would like to pay a tribute to those
with whom we have labored in our
office — wonderful, dedicated people. We
have been blessed with qualified secre-
taries. They know just about as much
of our work as we know ourselves. In
a minute's notice, they can bring letters
out of a file; they can tell you what
BISHOP CARL
your appointments are; and they can
remind you of many things. They are
efficient and wonderful.
Bishop Isaacson mentioned members
of our staff in his talk. I should like
to pay tribute to Brother Henry G.
Tempest who has been "my man" in the
ward teaching program. He has gone
out many nights to hold conventions
and to speak at ward teachers' meetings
and to encourage the great program.
While there is still a long way to go,
much has been accomplished. We now
get into the homes of eighty-one percent
of the people of the Church. This is an
increase of about thirty-five percent over
the past few years. I am thrilled about
this, and some good must come from it.
Brother Thomas and Brother Palmer
who have Aaronic Priesthood assign-
ments, those under twenty-one and
those over twenty-one, have performed
their duties in the same wonderful way.
Recently, Brother Ray White was added
to our staff. He is a qualified, experi-
enced man who has come to do our
writing. Brother Keith Carroll has been
our office manager. He has been on
the job all the time. He has kept our
office routine moving in a smooth and
efficient manner. We learned to love
people of this caliber. Brother Harold
Kirby, Brother Walter Poelman, and
Brother Phillip Jensen are men of this
same caliber. I should like to mention
Sister Ella Jack who supervises the de-
partment that has more than 1,700,000
membership records in it. This depart-
ment is so efficient that within a matter
of five or six seconds, the workers can
bring out the membership card of any
member in the Church. If you can
spell their names, and if they are mem-
bers of the Church, this department can
produce the membership records for you.
It is this type of efficiency in all of our
departments that has been so obvious.
Another department that should be
mentioned is the comptometer depart-
ment which was formerly headed by an
outstanding servant, Fern Dunn, who
passed away a few months ago, and our
medical welfare department where we
handle many cases of people in distress
and difficulty. Sister Hilda Harvey and
her staff are qualified, dedicated women
W. BUEHNER 99
who take care of those who come to this
department
I am going to miss many of these won-
derful experiences that I have enjoyed.
I will miss sitting in our weekly report
meeting where the experience of our
visits at stake quarterly conferences are
related. I, personally, have been to
more than 350 quarterly conferences
during the time I have been in the Pre-
siding Bishopric, and this in itself has
been a tremendous experience.
As I look at this great audience, par-
ticularly those of you who are leaders
of the Church, I realize what an amazing
group of men you are. You have come
from all over the Church, actually, from
all parts of the world. I shook hands
with leaders from Holland the other day
and then with some from the new Berlin
Stake, as well as leaders from Australia
and New Zealand. You may be sitting
next to each other at this very moment.
You have come from farms, from small
communities, from large cities, from
most of the states of the Union and
from many foreign countries to be in-
spired and lifted, edified, and electrified.
I hope you catch on fire so that this
reat work will move forward as never
efore.
I have had the honor of sitting in the
presence of President McKay and his
Counselors at least twice each week,
and many times, oftener. I will never
be in any more wonderful company than
while in the presence of prophets of
God. Add to this those who comprise
the body of the General Authorities of
the Church.
Elder Romney mentioned my experi-
ence with him in the welfare program.
Early in the program, I learned to love
President Clark, and I wish he were
here today so that I could tell him of
the tremendous influence he has been
in my life and for the great contribution
he has made to the welfare program. I
was closely associated with President
Moyle while he was chairman of the
program; Elder Harold B. Lee, managing
director, Elder Romney, and all others
associated with this outstanding pro-
gram to bless people. I will prize this
great association all of my life.
I have met with hospital boards,
while dedicated men have sat and
GENERAL CONFERENCE
100
Sunday, October I
pondered and worked out problems per-
taining to our hospitals. These men
have given their time hour after hour
in the solution of the problems that
confront these institutions. They have
been a great aid to the administrators.
These are some of the things I shall
miss. My association with the men and
boys who hold the Aaronic Priesthood
has been tremendous. This, I shall also
never forget. I am even going to miss
my new, red chair down here. From
now on, I will be competing with you
for a seat on one of the benches down
below. I have a feeling this is going
to be enjoyable.
Someone said, "Why do so many
meetings start at 8 pm sharp and close
at 11 pm dull?" This may be because
I have been holding some of these
meetings. I hope this will now elimi-
nate all those classified as dull.
I know I must not speak much
longer, but I should like to let you
know that I wholeheartedly sustain the
changes that have been made. I en-
dorse the new brethren whose names
have been mentioned. I have loved and
appreciated Elder Hinckley and admire
him greatly. I fully support the new
members of the Presiding Bishopric. I
have a feeling they will do a better job
than we have done. It seems, when
changes are made, new individuals al-
ways lift the Church to greater heights.
If I can do anything to assist them, I
offer my services.
I am very grateful that Bishop Wirth-
lin has received a new assignment in
the Church. I am also grateful that
Bishop Isaacson has a new assignment.
President McKay said, "Brother Buehner,
this will give you time to run your new
Beehive State Bank." I told him I
would take some of my time to do this
and some for other things in which I
have an interest.
In closing, may I say that through
the privilege I have had of travel-
ing about the Church, meeting you
wonderful Stake presidents, I express ap-
preciation for the fact that you have given
me the best room in your home. You have
killed the fatted calf; you have traveled
over busy highways to call for me at
the airport or at a railroad depot; you
have waited on us and extended to us
Third Day
every courtesy. For these things, I ask
the Lord to bless you, and I express my
appreciation for you. As I step aside
now, I will remember these tremendous
experiences. You are a great blessing to
the leadership of the Church. Many
times I have said that because of the
dedicated men and women scattered
throughout the Church, this Church
can never fail. I trust our only concern
is, "How far can we take it?" We have
an excellent start and yet a long way
to go.
The one other thought I would like
to leave is that the Lord is trying to
save all of us. I hope we will conform
our lives to his teachings so that he can
help us to become perfect and one day
bring us back again into his presence.
We would not be happy to be in his
presence if we did not make every effort
to bring with us those we have learned
to know and love and appreciate and
even many yet that we do not know.
The purpose of the Lord is to bring us
all back into his presence. He has given
us the plan whereby this can be done.
I have a great testimony of the gospel.
I love the Church. Again, I say, I ap-
preciate every honor and every courtesy
that has come to me. I would like to
say again to President McKay and his
Counselors and to all of the General
Authorities that I am a better man as I
leave this assignment because of them
than I have ever been before.
Tomorrow will be moving day for
me. I must say good-bye to most of
you now. Some of you I hope to see
often. I thank the Lord for every choice
blessing I have had.
I have had to speak this way or I
would have choked up and could not
have said a word. God bless everyone
of you as you continue your great
labors in the work, and may our Father
in heaven continue to bless these won-
derful General Authorities.
Many great men in the past have been
released by death. I am released while
I am still alive, and there is some ad-
vantage to this. God bless you every
one in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
You have just heard a retirement
ELDER HENRY D. TAYLOR
101
speech from Bishop Carl W. Buehner.
I believe it was Brother Critchlow who
was released as president of the stake,
who was called as one of the Assistants
to the Twelve, who said, "When I was
released as president of the stake, I
looked upon it as a retirement. Now I
find it is a retreading."
I would like to say to Bishop Buehner
and Sister Buehner and those children
who have looked forward to a time
when Brother Buehner can sit with
them in the evening chair and spend
a happy retirement experience, "That
the best laid schemes of mice and men
gae aft agley."
We shall now hear from Elder Henry
D. Taylor, Assistant to the Twelve.
ELDER HENRY D. TAYLOR
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
We sing a beautiful hymn that is a
favorite of mine. It refers to our exist-
ence prior to coming to this earth.
Sister Eliza R. Snow, the author, poses
some very meaningful questions, and in
addressing our Father in heaven asks:
"When shall I regain thy presence,
And again behold thy face?"
She concludes the hymn with this
prayer:
"When I leave this frail existence;
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then at length, when I've completed
All you sent me forth to do;
With your mutual approbation,
Let me come and dwell with you."
("O My Father")
Our Heavenly Father loves us, his
children, and desires that each will
return again to his presence, for he has
declared:
". . . behold, this is my work and my
glory — to bring to pass the immortality
and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.)
In order to attain this goal of immor-
tality, it was decreed that individuals
privileged to come to this earth must
pass through the experience of death.
But God in his wisdom allowed his
Only Begotten Son in the flesh, Jesus
Christ, to suffer, bleed, and die on the
cross to break the bands of death.
Through his atoning sacrifice, Christ
became our Savior and Redeemer. It
is through him that we will return to the
Father, for he has said:
". . . no man shall come unto the
Father but by me " (D&C 132:12.)
We have the promise and assurance
that after death, our earthly, mortal
body will be resurrected and become the
glorified tabernacle of our eternal spirit.
Our Father in heaven is all-wise and
infinite. He is also a God of law and
order. He has given to man a plan — the
gospel plan, which furnishes instruc-
tions for us to follow in order to return
to his presence. These instructions are
known as commandments and are given
to us through his servants, the prophets.
Every commandment is important and
has been provided for a specific purpose.
It is not logical to suppose that man may
choose the commandments he wishes
to observe and ignore the others. Note
how emphatically the Lord has expressed
himself on this matter:
"If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me
and keep all my commandments." (Ibid.,
42:29. Italics added.)
We might well consider that keeping
the commandments is a "one package
deal."
In contemplating the gospel plan,
however, there is a possibility that we
may be attracted to certain doctrines to
the exclusion of others.
Many years ago I read some verses
that made a lasting impression upon me.
They are called, 'The Blind Men and
the Elephant":
"It was six men of Indostan,
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind,)
That each by observation might
satisfy his mind."
The first happening to fall against the
broad and sturdy side exclaimed: "the
elephant is very like a wall!"
The second reeling of the roundness,
102 GENERAL C
Sunday, October 1
smoothness, and sharpness of the tusk
cried: "This wonder of an elephant is
very like a spear I"
The third happened to grasp the
squirming trunk in his hand. "I
see," quoth he, "the elephant is very
like a snake!"
The fourth reached out his hand, and
felt about the knee, "What this won-
drous beast is like," he said; "Is very
like a tree!"
The fifth who chanced to touch an
ear, stated: "This marvel of an ele-
phant is very like a fan!"
The sixth in groping about, seized
the swinging tail. "I see," quoth he,
"The elephant is very like a rope!"
"And so these men of Indostan,
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion,
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong."
(John Godfrey Saxe.)
And thus it is with us and the gospel.
We catch a glimpse here and another
there. Like the blind men of Indostan,
we form our own impressions of the
gospel. Yet it has been restored in its
fulness, and through study and prayer
we can obtain a knowledge and appre-
ciation of its beauty and completeness.
Now to return for a brief considera-
tion of the Lord's commandments,
keeping in mind his promise when he
said:
"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do
what I say; but when ye do not what I
say, ye have no promise." (D&C 82:10.)
From the very beginning, God has
provided his children with instructions
or commandments. To Adam he gave
the law of sacrifice. On Mt. Sinai,
Moses received the Ten Commandments
for the children of Israel. Some of
these tell us what to do; others what
not to do. Today, we still subscribe to
those teachings as being basic and bind-
ing upon us.
From time to time through the years
other important instructions have been
given.
Frequently we hear the admonition:
"Keep the commandments and you will
be blessed," but there is more to it than
that. Specifically, what are these com-
Third Day
mandments, the observance of which
will bring us promised blessings? While
the list would be impressively lengthy,
a few essential ones we mention:
First: Love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, might, mind, and strength.
Love is one of the great attributes of
God and is the very essence of the gos-
pel of Jesus Christ. Love is a virtue
that every person should earnestly strive
to develop.
Second: Next to loving God, we
should love our neighbor as ourselves
This anticipates that we will be honest
in our dealings with our fellow man
and not take unfair advantage but help
him in every way possible.
Third: In order to keep ourselves
unspotted from the world, we should
go to the house of prayer on the Sabbath
day, partake of the Sacrament, renew
our covenants with the Lord, and re-
member our promise always to keep
his commandments.
Fourth: Prayerfully choose a suitable
mate, go to the temple, the house of the
Lord, to be married and sealed, not only
for time, but also for all eternity.
Fifth: Establish a home, multiply
and replenish the earth, rear a righteous
family, set a proper example for a worthy
posterity and the whole world.
Sixth: All members of the Church
should live righteously. By so doing
every male member will make himself
worthy to receive the priesthood and
should then magnify it by gratefully
accepting responsibilities that come,
which callings he neither covets nor
refects, and in all his responsibilities he
should be supported by his wife and
family, standing loyally by his side.
Seventh: Search out the names of
departed kinsman. As a proxy perform
ordinances in the house of the Lord for
their salvation and exaltation.
Eighth: Recognize that "the earth is
the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; . . ."
(Psalm 24:1.) Pay tithes and offerings
as a token of appreciation for the good
things of the earth and for all other
blessings we receive.
Ninth: Share the gospel and teach
all who will hearken to its message. In
this way every member will become a
missionary.
Tenth: Provide for our own economic
ELDER NATHAN ELDON TANNER
103
independence. Remember the poor and
needy and show concern for their wel-
fare.
Eleventh: Keep the body a sacred
temple for the Spirit of the Lord by
being clean, chaste, and virtuous, real-
izing that his spirit will not dwell in an
unclean tabernacle. Also keep the body
strong by observing the Lord's law of
health, known as the Word of Wisdom.
To this list, brothers and sisters, you
will want to add others.
As mortals we are weak. We have
many frailties and imperfections, and
it may be difficult at first to obey all
the commandments. But we should never
cease striving. Progress is doing better
today than we did yesterday. Each of
us should have as an objective the Sav-
ior's admonition:
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect."
(Matthew 5:48.)
As we become more perfect, we gain
strength and willpower and thus it is
easier to keep all of God's command-
ments. When this is accomplished, we
are well on our way to happiness and
eternal life.
Happiness, peace, and contentment
can be ours. The Prophet Joseph Smith
taught:
"Happiness is the object and design of
our existence, and will be the end there-
of, if we pursue the path that leads to
it; and this path is virtue, uprightness,
faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all
the commandments of God." (History
of the Church, Vol. V, pp. 134-135;
italics added.)
The Prophet Alma also contributed
this important truth:
". . . wickedness never was happiness."
(Alma 41:10.)
If we keep all of God's command-
ments, we will enjoy a feeling of calm-
ness, serenity, and strength. This will
serve as a bulwark to protect us against
the winds and storms created by the
tensions and uncertainties of present
chaotic world conditions. We need not
wait until we get to heaven to obtain
peace and happiness. We can have
heaven on earth, here and now.
May we all hearken to and observe
the admonition of the ancient prophet
who exclaimed:
"Let us hear the conclusion of the
whole matter: Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole
duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13.)
For which I humbly pray in the name
of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
He to whom we have just listened is
Elder Henry D. Taylor, Assistant to the
Twelve. The Choir and congregation
will now sing, "How Firm A Foun-
dation." Elder Tanner will speak after
the song.
The Tabernacle Choir and the con-
gregation joined in singing the hymn,
"How Firm A Foundation."
President David O. McKay:
Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner, As-
sistant to the Twelve and president of
the West European Mission, will now
address us. He will be followed by
Elder Howard W. Hunter of the Coun-
cil of the Twelve.
ELDER NATHAN ELDON TANNER
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
President McKay, President Moyle, Pres-
ident Brown, President Smith, and my
brethren and sisters, I thank my Heaven-
ly Father from the bottom of my heart
for my membership in his Church and
kingdom here upon the earth, for the
priesthood which I hold, and for the
honor and call that has come to me,
which makes it possible for me to spend
my time in the service of the Lord, and
to associate with our beloved President,
a prophet of God, David O. McKay,
and these other inspired leaders who
have been chosen by him to direct the
activities of the Church and to lead us
in the paths of truth and righteousness.
I am truly grateful for the opportunity
I have of attending this outstanding
GENERAL CONFERENCE
104
Sunday, October 1
conference with you, and partaking of
the spirit that is here, and to be in-
structed and encouraged by the wonder-
ful messages that we have heard. As I
stand before you, I feel more keenly
than I have words to express my
inadequacy and humility and a need of,
and I humbly pray for, an interest in
your faith and prayers as I speak to
you today.
As approximately one seventh of all
the full-time missionaries in the world
are laboring in the West European
Mission, over which I have the honor
to preside, and which includes the mis-
sions of the British Isles, France, and
the Netherlands, and because we have
in these missions young men and young
women representing families, wards, and
stakes from all parts of Canada and the
United States, I feel that I should make
a brief report of their activities, the work
that is being done, and the progress that
is being made in those areas.
First, I should like to congratulate
those devoted stake and ward officers
and the people in the five stakes in
England and Holland on the fine work
that they are doing and the progress that
is being made. I wish to acknowledge
the presence of, and welcome here today,
representatives of the stake presidencies,
of the bishoprics, and stake Relief Soci-
ety presidents, who are here from those
stakes, also President and Sister Boyer
of the London Temple. I am sure that
they, as the rest of us, will enjoy the
spirit of this great conference and return
to their wards and stakes with a keener
desire and determination and ability
to carry on with the heavy responsibili-
ties placed upon them.
Also, I wish to express my deep
appreciation to those unselfish, dedicated
mission presidents and their wives who
are devoting every minute of their time
and energy in directing the missionary
work in their several missions. To see
the love and devotion which they have
for your sons and daughters who are
placed under their care and direction is
most encouraging indeed. They could
not show a keener interest in their own
children. The help and leadership which
they give them will influence their lives
for years and years to come.
Brother Roy M. Darley, with his
Third Day
organ recitals in the Hyde Park Chapel
in London, is making a great contribu-
tion to missionary work.
Now, regarding that wonderful corps
of missionaries who are serving in these
different missions, I am happy indeed
to be able to report that they are really
doing a marvelous work and a wonder
in the mission field. It is most encour-
aging and inspiring to go from one
mission to another and hear those de-
voted missionaries bear their testimonies
to one another and give their reports
and experiences which they have had in
teaching the gospel to the world. They
are certainly to be congratulated on
their enthusiasm, dedication, and their
success as they go forward in their
proselyting efforts.
To see how humble they are, and yet
how fearless and determined, reminds
one of Paul as he stood in chains before
King Agrippa. Defending himself, he
replied to the accusations of Festus,
"I am not mad, most noble Festus, but
speak forth the words of truth and sober-
ness" (Acts 26:25), always with the hope
that those who hear might accept their
message. The results of their efforts are
evident throughout the mission.
In April I reported that in the previous
eighteen months the LDS membership
in the British Isles had increased from
approximately 10,000 to 20,000, or nearly
double. Today, I am happy to report
that in these islands we had 1,197 bap-
tisms in July; 1,274 in August; and in
September, at the present rate, we will
have over 1,400. This means that we
are baptizing in the British Isles alone
enough people for four or five stakes
each year.
But more significant than this is the
fact that the church population there is
being increased at the rate of over 5
percent each month, or over 60 percent
each year throughout the whole of the
British Isles, while in some local areas
the increase is as high as 200 to 300
percent in one year.
In France and the Netherlands the
number of baptisms are also greatly
increased. It is not difficult to see that
a tremendous fellowshipping program is
necessary, and I am happy to report that
in these wards and branches, though
many of them are new members and
ELDER NATHAN
though the building facilities are most
inadequate, the people are accepting the
responsibility of trying to make the new
converts feel at home and a part of the
church organization.
The building program necessary to
provide the facilities for this great influx
of members presents a real problem.
I personally wish to congratulate the
building committee and those fine men
who are directing the work on the
ground, on the very efficient way in
which they have organized their work
and their staffs to go forward with the
program of starting a new building
every week.
I also wish to congratulate the mem-
bers in the stakes and missions on the
very wonderful way in which they have
responded to this building program and
in making labor missionaries available
to assist wherever new buildings are
being constructed.
President McKay, I am happy to tell
you that the people there are responding
beautifully to your call and slogan,
"Every Member A Missionary," first, by
striving to live lives worthy of example,
and second, by opening their homes for
group teaching and inviting their friends
and neighbors and associates in to hear
the gospel.
I should like to tell you of some of the
experiences and observations that Sister
Tanner and I had in September as we
met with the Saints in the stake and
district conferences in the capitals and
some of the larger cities in England,
France, Germany, the Netherlands, and
Belgium which I feel are significant and
which helped to strengthen our testi-
monies and helped us to appreciate
probably more than ever before our free
agency and our membership in this
great Church.
First, we found that wherever we went,
regardless of country or city or language,
there was the same sweet spirit of devo-
tion and willingness to accept office
and give service in the Church. As we
interviewed the men in these cities for
office, we told them they would be re-
quired to live up to the standards of the
Church, that it would require much of
their time, and that the responsibilities
were heavy and would require sacrifice
on their part
ELDON TANNER 105
All of them, though they knew that
there was no remuneration but a great
deal of hard work, had only one re-
sponse: "I am willing to do my best,
but am I worthy?" Where in all the
world, outside of this Church, can you
find this kind of dedication? It is
evident that the members of the Church
are being prepared to accept and follow
the admonition of James wherein he
said, "... be ye doers of the word, and
not hearers only, deceiving your own
selves." (James 1:22.)
Secondly, we observed that the mem-
bers, when speaking to one another
and when addressing the people in meet-
ings, referred to them, as they do all
over the Church, as brothers and sisters.
This too was very significant. What
a grand and glorious feeling it is to
know that you are really brothers and
sisters, spirit children of God, who are
interested in one another and enjoy the
fine feeling of love and brotherhood and
oneness in the Church wherever you
are, regardless of whether you have
known one another before or not. As
the Lord has said, "I say unto you, be
one; and if ye are not one ye are not
mine." (D&C 38:27.)
The third observation we made, and
which is also significant and important
to the members of the Church, is that
all speakers concluded their reports and
talks by bearing their testimonies, all of
which were essentially the same. As
Sister Tanner and I are unable to under-
stand or speak the language of any of
the countries on the European Conti-
nent, we have to arrange for someone
not only to translate what we say to
the congregation, but also to sit behind
us and give us a running commentary
of what is being said by the local
people.
While in Brussels we had an interest-
ing experience when the district and
branch presidents were giving their re-
ports. After two or three had spoken,
and another was concluding, the man
who was sitting there translating for us
said, "He is now bearing his testimony."
And he said no more. For the speakers
who followed he did the same thing.
This made me very conscious of the fact
that the testimonies borne by members
anywhere in the Church, regardless of
106 GENERAL O
Sunday, October 1
who they are, or where they come from,
state or imply certain fundamental and
significant truths, and that testimony
bearing itself is peculiar to the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I should like to deal briefly with three
or four of the fundamentals in the testi-
mony of a Latter-day Saint. These
testimonies include essential points of
the message now being taken by the
missionaries to the world. First, that
the Godhead is composed of God the
Eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ
and the Holy Ghost, and it is their
testimony that God the Eternal Father
and his Son Jesus Christ are Living
Beings of flesh and bones and spirit,
in whose image we are made, and that
". . . God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whoso-
ever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life" (John 3:16),
that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the
world who gave his life that all man-
kind may be saved and by obedience
to the laws and ordinances of the gospel
work out their own salvation and exalta-
tion; that God the Father and his Son
Jesus Christ both appeared in person
and spoke to and instructed Joseph
Smith; that Joseph Smith was chosen
as a Prophet of God and that the priest-
hood was restored by John the Baptist
and by Peter, James, and John upon the
heads of Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery; that this priesthood is the
power of God delegated to man to act
in his name, and that it is now in the
Church and is the authority by which
all ordinances are performed in the
name of Jesus Christ; that the gospel
has been restored, and that the true
Church of Jesus Christ is established;
that this Church is an organization
similar in all essentials to the primitive
Church set up by Christ among the
Jews with apostles and prophets, pastors
and teachers, evangelists, etc.; and that
we have a prophet at the head of our
Church today through whom the Lord
speaks and directs his people.
This is the testimony of these
individual members of the Church
throughout the world. It is their testi-
mony also that the Book of Mormon,
which was translated by the power of
God, is a divinely inspired record of
Third Day
God's dealings with the early inhabitants
of the people on the American Continent,
and that it is the word of God, and as
recorded on the flyleaf of the Book of
Mormon, it is "Written by way of com-
mandment, and also by the spirit of
prophecy and of revelation — ... to the
convincing of the Jew and Gentile that
Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God,
manifesting himself unto all nations. . . ."
This message is a message of peace,
the plan of life and salvation, which is
the message to all the world, to accept
Christ as the Savior of the world and
him crucified and to follow the admoni-
tion of Peter: "Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
(Acts 2:38.)
This is the reason there are 9,000
young missionaries, ranging in ages
mostly from nineteen to twenty-two
years out in the world, receiving no
remuneration, paying their own expenses
at a cost of more than $800,000 each
month, or approximately ten million
dollars each year, or twenty million for
the two to two and a half years they
are in the mission field. While in the
field they will have contributed over
18,000 missionary years. They will
have sacrificed 18,000 man years of
schooling or otherwise productive life
to teach the restored gospel, which is
the plan of life and salvation, and to
bring souls unto Christ.
This is a service of love, with no
thought of financial gain, but with an
unselfish desire on the part of these
devoted young missionaries and their
parents who sacrifice so much to serve
God and their fellow men.
The struggle in the world today and
the threat of nuclear war would be
averted tomorrow and peace would
reign upon the earth if the people in
the world would accept this message.
The conflict in the world which
threatens the free agency and life of
every individual is a continuation of
the war in heaven, where Satan was de-
termined to take away our free agency,
God's greatest gift to man.
As we read in the scriptures: ". . .
because that Satan rebelled against me,
and sought to destroy the agency of
ELDER HOWARD W. HUNTER
107
man, which I, the Lord God, had given
him, and also, that I should give unto
him mine own power; by the power of
mine Only Begotten, I caused that he
should be cast down;
"And he became Satan, yea, even the
devil, the father of all lies, to deceive
and to blind men, and to lead them
captive at his will, even as many as
would not hearken unto my voice."
(Moses 4:3-4.)
"Wherefore, he maketh war with the
saints of God, and encompasseth them
round about." (D&C 76:29.)
This was so evident to me as we were
in Berlin to organize a stake there. I
took the opportunity of going into East
Berlin, as a tourist may if he has his
proper papers. Here we have an out-
standing example of the contrast of
conditions and the way of life in a
divided city where the East is under
the domination of a dictator where man
has been robbed of his freedom and is
now a slave of the state, and the other
part of the city where he still enjoys
much of his freedom. In the West,
the stores, the streets with their bright
lights, the cars, the hotels, and beauti-
ful parks are all bustling with people
who can go and come as they wish and
who are joyously and actively engaged
in building and other industrial de-
velopment. While in the East under
the domination of man, you see very
few people on the streets, a very limited
number of cars, a drab-looking city with
ruins on all sides, and the people with
an attitude of despondence, despair,
and defeatism, knowing that they are
at the beck and call of a foreign anti-
Christ dictator with policemen and
soldiers on every side to see that they
do as they are told and that they can-
not escape. Why? Is it because they
are so happy and prosperous and con-
tented with conditions there?
Satan is at work, my brethren and
sisters. Our freedom is at stake. It is
the responsibility of everyone who calls
himself a Christian, and particularly
for every member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and
more particularly for every holder of the
priesthood of God, to take a firm stand
and a determined stand against evil. It
is my testimony to you, my brothers and
sisters, wherever you may be, that God
has given us the solution to our prob-
lems, the plan by which we can enjoy
peace in the world and peace in our
lives.
I plead with you, everyone, wherever
you may be, to accept Christ as the
Savior of the world and to go forward
as champions of our Heavenly Father
and his cause and keep his command-
ments that we may enjoy his Spirit to
be with us at all times, in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Nathan Eldon Tanner, As-
sistant to the Twelve and President of
the West European Mission, has just
given that testimony. We shall now
hear from Elder Howard W. Hunter of
the Council of the Twelve.
ELDER HOWARD W. HUNTER
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
There is a growing concept among men
of the world that religion is something
reserved for the Sabbath day, or for the
hour spent in places of worship or in
prayer. Men distinguish between the
everyday affairs that occupy their minds
and direct their activities in the busy
business world, and those things within
the realm of theology. "Don't mix re-
ligion with business," some say. Can
religion be eliminated from the affairs
of everyday living?
As Christians, I suppose we could de-
fine religion as a belief in God and a
devotion to him, which belief stimulates
a love for God and a desire to serve
him.
James said,
"If any man among you seem to be
religious, and bridleth not his tongue,
108
Sunday, October 1
but deceiveth his own heart, this man's
religion is vain.
"Pure religion and undefiled before
God and the Father is this, To visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction,
and to keep himself unspotted from the
world." (James 1:26-27.)
In other words, religion is more than
a knowledge of God or a confession of
faith, and it is more than theology.
Religion is the doing of the word of
God. It is being our brother's keeper,
among other things. To keep unspotted
from the world does not mean that one
must withdraw from all association with
the world, but rather to keep away
from the evils of the world; or as more
beautifully put in one of our hymns,
"Freedom from earth stains."
We can be religious in worship on
the Sabbath day, and we can be re-
ligious in our duties on the other six
days of the week. The Apostle Paul,
writing to those called to be "saints" at
Corinth stated:
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink,
or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory
of God." (1 Cor. 10:31.)
If such little things as eating and
drinking are to be done to the glory of
God, how much more important it must
be that all of our thoughts, the words
we speak, or acts, conduct, dealings with
neighbors, business transactions, and all
of our everyday affairs, be in harmony
with our religious beliefs. In the words
of Paul, "whatsoever ye do, do all to
the glory of God." (Idem.) Can we
therefore eliminate religion from our
week-day affairs and relegate it to the
Sabbath day only? Surely not, if we
follow Paul's admonition.
Religion can be part of our daily work,
our business, our buying and selling,
building, transportation, manufacturing,
our trade or profession, or of anything
we do. We can serve God by honesty
and fair dealing in our business trans-
actions in the same way we do in Sun-
day worship. The true principles of
Christianity cannot be separate and
apart from business and our everyday
affairs.
Religion is often regarded as opposed
to pleasure, but God's reason for creating
man is that he might have joy.
"Adam fell that men might be; and
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Third Day
men are, that they might have joy."
(2 Nephi 2:25.)
There is no reason why joy should be
turned out-of-doors before religion can
come in. Many people think of a re-
ligious person as one with a sad counte-
nance and draped in black, but this is
not so. When the angel of the Lord
appeared to the shepherds to announce
the birth of the Savior, he said:
". . . Fear not: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people." (Luke 2:10.)
Christ, himself, said:
"... I am come that they might have
life, and that they might have it more
abundantly." (John 10:10.)
Joy existed in the pre-existence before
the foundations of the earth were laid,
". . . and all the sons of God shouted
for joy." (Job 38:7.)
Peter, in his epistle, speaking of the
appearance of Jesus Christ, said:
". . . though now ye see him not, yet
believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeak-
able and full of glory:" (1 Peter 1:8.)
There is nothing sad or gloomy about
a person who accepts the truths of the
gospel and incorporates these principles
in his daily living. God wants all of
his children to be joyous and glad, and
we can have this blessing if we are
willing to keep his commandments and
live by his word in all that we do. Thus
living one's religion must apply to
temporal affairs as much as it does to
those things which we think of as
spiritual.
There are some who ask why the
Church is concerned with temporal
affairs. The Church is interested in the
welfare of each of its members. This
interest therefore cannot be limited to
man's spiritual needs alone but extends
to every phase of his life. Social and
economic needs are important to every-
one. Man also has need for physical,
mental, and moral guidance. Our lives
cannot be one-sided, nor can we separate
the spiritual from the temporal. The
Lord has said:
"Wherefore, verily I say unto you that
all things unto me are spiritual, and
not at any time have I given unto you
a law which was temporal; neither any
man, nor the children of men; neither
Adam, your father, whom I created.
ELDER HOWARD W. HUNTER
109
"Behold, I gave unto him that he
should be an agent unto himself; and
I gave unto him commandment, but no
temporal commandment gave I unto
him, for my commandments are spirit-
ual; they are not natural nor temporal,
neither carnal nor sensual." (D&C
29:34-35.)
The Lord makes no distinction be-
tween temporal and spiritual command-
ments, for he has said that all of his
commandments are spiritual. When we
understand the plan of life and salva-
tion, this becomes evident to us.
Mortality is just one part of our eternal
life.
We know where we came from. Holy
writ tells us that we were born the
spiritual children of our Heavenly
Father, that we dwelt with him in a
spiritual existence before our birth into
mortality. The divine object of our
coming to earth is to obtain a body of
flesh and bones, to learn by the experi-
ences which come to us in this mortal
life the difference between good and
evil, and to accomplish those things
which the Lord commanded. Thus this
life is the schoolroom of our journey
through eternity. There is work to
do and lessons to learn that we might
prepare and qualify ourselves to go into
the spiritual existence to follow.
Man distinguishes between the tem-
poral and the spiritual, probably be-
cause living in mortality between the
spiritual pre-existence and the spiritual
life hereafter, he fails to recognize the
full significance of his activities during
the years he spends on earth. To the
Lord everything is both spiritual and
temporal, and the laws he gives are
consequently spiritual, because they
concern spiritual beings.
Every phase of our life, therefore,
becomes the concern of the Church.
The great welfare program of the
Church demonstrates this principle. The
Church is interested in our social and
our recreational needs, educational, fam-
ily life, our business affairs, and all that
we do.
There is no way we can separate the
activities of worship on the Sabbath day
from the many pursuits of the week-
day by calling one religious and the
other temporal. Both are spiritual. God
has ordained them thus, for they consist
of our thoughts and actions as we wend
our way through this part of eternity.
Thus our business transactions, our
daily labors, our trade or profession, or
whatever we do become part of living
the gospel.
This imposes upon us a high duty
and a high responsibility. If all men
would live in obedience to these princi-
ples in their daily lives and in their
dealings with each other, and if this
same code would prevail among those
who are in leadership among the peoples
and nations of the world, righteousness
would prevail, peace would return, and
the blessings of the Lord would be
showered down upon his children.
Righteous living must start in the
lives of individuals. Each of us has the
duty. It must be incorporated into
family living. Parents have the responsi-
bility to live these principles and teach
them to their children. Religion must
be part of our living. The gospel of
Jesus Christ must become the motivat-
ing influence in all that we do. There
must be more striving within in order
to follow the great example set by the
Savior if we are to become more like
him. This becomes our great challenge.
Our daily prayer might well be stated
in the words of the hymn:
"More holiness give me,
More strength to o'ercome;
More freedom from earth stains,
More longing for home;
More fit for the kingdom,
More used would I be;
More blessed and holy,
More, Savior, like thee."
I witness that Jesus is the Christ, the
Savior of the world. If only we could
catch the vision and conform our lives
to his teachings, we would find that joy
which has been promised to us. In
whatever we eat or drink, or whatever
we do, may it all be done to the glory
of God I humbly pray, in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Howard W. Hunter of the
Council of the Twelve has just con-
cluded speaking.
110
Sunday, October 1
The closing song by the Tabernacle
Choir will be "Hallelujah" (from the
"Mount of Olives"), conducted by
Richard P. Condie, and the benediction
will be offered by Elder Joseph R. Ison,
president of the Nampa Stake, following
which this Conference will be adjourned
until two o'clock this afternoon.
Brethren and sisters, in bringing to
a close this sixth session of the One
Hundred Thirty-First Semi-Annual Con-
ference, we express our sincere appre-
ciation to the owners and managers of
the many television and radio stations
who have offered their facilities to us.
We are grateful for this wonderful pub-
lic service. A total of 22 radio stations
and 21 television stations in the West
are carrying the proceedings of this
Conference. According to a survey, it
is estimated that over a million people
are listening to this morning's session.
We are grateful for the attendance of
all who are present in the Tabernacle,
in the Assembly Hall and Barratt Hall.
We are pleased with the messages we
received yesterday, among which was
one from students of the Payson
Seminary — a hundred and ten of them.
Some of them for the first time in their
lives attended the session.
We recognize the presence of the
Honorable Ralph R. Harding, Congress-
man from Idaho. You be pleased also
that the following have been noticed
in our session this morning, and many
of them I have noticed at several other
sessions: Senator Wallace F. Bennett,
Congressman David S. King; I have
already mentioned Senator Ralph Hard-
ing from Idaho; Governor George Dewey
Clyde, last evening also, and is present
this morning; and Secretary of State,
Lamont Toronto; Sharp M. Larsen, the
State Treasurer; Dr. Ernest L. Wilkin-
son, president of the Brigham Young
University; Dr. A. Ray Olpin, president
of the University of Utah — I missed him
yesterday when his boys and girls were
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Third Day
singing. They did well, Dr. Olpin;
President Daryl Chase of the Utah
State University; President Homer
Durham of Arizona State University;
President John L. Clarke of Ricks Col-
lege; Dr. William P. Miller, president
of Weber College; Judge A. Sherman
Christenson of the Federal Court; Super-
intendent M. Lynn Bennion of our Salt
Lake City Schools; and undoubtedly
many others.
We are grateful for the attendance in
the Assembly Hall and in Barratt Hall
of many of our Conference visitors who
are here for the first time, and of course,
you stake presidencies, high councilmen,
bishoprics, temple presidents, and all
the General Authorities and general of-
ficers of the Church.
We should say a word of appreciation
for the flowers all the way from Hawaii,
the antheriums, from the Oahu Stake.
I mentioned the General Priesthood
Meeting held last evening and the ex-
cellent presentation by Elder Lee and
Elder Evans of the correlation plan and
the spiritual feast of probably 40,000
members of the Priesthood at the Gen-
eral Priesthood Meeting in about 300
stake gatherings.
The singing of this morning's session
has been furnished by the Tabernacle
Choir, with Richard P. Condie con-
ducting and Alexander Schreiner at the
organ.
We will conclude this service now
with the anthem, "Hallelujah" from the
"Mount of Olives," and Elder Joseph R.
Ison, president of the Nampa Stake,
will offer the benediction.
The anthem, "Hallelujah" (from the
"Mount of Olives") was the closing
number by the Tabernacle Choir.
Elder Joseph R. Ison, president of the
Nampa Stake, offered the closing
prayer.
Conference adjourned until 2:00 p.m.
THIRD DAY
AFTERNOON MEETING
The concluding session of the Confer-
ence was held in the Tabernacle at
2 o'clock p.m., Sunday, October 1, with
President David O. McKay presiding and
conducting.
The music for this session of the Con-
ELDER MILTON R. HUNTER
111
ference was furnished by the Tabernacle
Choir, Richard P. Condie and Jay E.
Welch directing, with Frank W. Asper
at the organ.
President David O. McKay opened the
meeting with the following remarks:
President David O. McKay:
These services are being broadcast by
television and radio stations throughout
the West. The names of these stations
were announced at the beginning of this
meeting.
The music for this session will be
rendered by the Tabernacle Choir, with
Richard P. Condie conducting, and
Elder Frank W. Asper at the organ.
We shall begin these services by the
Choir singing, "How Lovely Are The
Messengers," with Jay E. Welch, As-
sistant Conductor, directing. The in-
vocation will be offered by Nicholas J.
Teerlink, president of the Wells Stake.
"How Lovely Are The Messengers"
was sung by the Tabernacle Choir, Jay
E. Welch, Assistant Tabernacle Choir
leader, conducting.
Elder Nicholas J. Teerlink, president
of the Wells Stake, offered the in-
vocation.
President David O. McKay:
President Nicholas J. Teerlink of the
Wells Stake has just offered the invo-
cation. The Choir will now sing, "Of
The Father's Love Begotten," Richard
P. Condie conducting, after which we
shall hear from Elder Milton R. Hunter
of the First Council of Seventy.
The Choir sang, "Of The Father's
Love Begotten," Richard P. Condie
conducting.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Milton R. Hunter of the First
Council of Seventy will be our first
speaker. He will be followed by Elder
Sonne.
ELDER MILTON R. HUNTER
Of the First Council of the Seventy
My dear brethren and sisters, we are
living in a great age of the Church. I
thrill when I think about the tremen-
dous growth that is taking place, and
especially when I meditate on the devel-
opment of the various phases of church
activity. This unusual growth and
development has taken place primarily
during the past few years since Presi-
dent David O. McKay became leader
of the Church.
As President Henry D. Moyle said
yesterday, truly the stone has been cut
out of the mountain without hands, and
it is destined to roll forth and fill the
whole earth. (See Daniel 2:34-35, 45.)
As I travel throughout the Church and
meet with the stake presidencies, the
other officers, and the people in general
of the various stakes, I thrill with their
devotion. Thousands and thousands of
them have an eye single to the glory of
God and to the upbuilding of the king-
dom. They bear solemn testimonies
that Jesus is the Christ and that this is
his true Church. I marvel how devoted
to the cause of righteousness many Lat-
ter-day Saints are.
On the other hand, when I look at
the reports of the various stakes and ob-
serve how many members have their
names on the records who are not keep-
ing the commandments, it causes my
heart to sadden. It causes me to want
to do all I can to help change that con-
dition. I strongly desire that all Latter-
day Saints work out their eternal exal-
tation now while the opportunity is
ours.
It seems that many in the Church do
not appreciate the gospel. They do not
realize that if they attain the greatest
amount of joy in this life and eternal
life in the world to come, they must
prove faithful now. This life is our
opportunity. Yes, our chance to serve
God is now! Today is the day for us
to prepare to meet God. We cannot put
it off until the next world.
Some 2,500 years ago, Nephi, looking
GENERAL CONFERENCE
112
Sunday, October 1
down through the stream of time, saw
our day and prophesied about it exten-
sively. He said that in the last days
the God of heaven would proceed to
bring forth a marvelous work and a
wonder. He described this work and the
great effect it would have upon the
people of the world.
Nephi also proclaimed that many
Church members in our day would not
be faithful. He said that they would
be influenced by the Evil One; that
they would be deceived and dragged
down to hell. Let me read one of Nephi's
statements:
"And there shall also be many which
shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry;
nevertheless, fear God — he will justify
in committing a little sin; yea, lie a
little, take the advantage of one because
of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor;
there is no harm in this; and do all
these things, for tomorrow we die; and
if it so be that we are guilty, God will
beat us with a few stripes, and at last
we shall be saved in the kingdom of
God.
"Yea, and there shall be many which
shall teach after this manner, false and
vain and foolish doctrines, . . ." (2 Ne-
phi 28:8-9.)
It seems to me that the principle
theme of this conference has been obe-
dience to God's commandments. I have
a strong feeling in my heart this after-
noon to say something to cause some of
us to recognize the importance of keep-
ing God's commandments at the present
time while the opportunity is ours.
I remember that a few years before
President Grant died, he came to a
general conference one day and said
that while preparing his mind for con-
ference he had wondered what great
blessing he could give to the Latter-day
Saints. He pondered on what good thing
he could do for them. And then he re-
marked, "Under the inspiration of the
Lord I have come to conference with
the one simple idea, 'Keep God's com-
mandments!' "
Many Latter-day Saints think that
they can reject temple marriage, fail
to pay their tithes and offering, commit
various sins here in mortality and that
they will have another chance to make
all of this up in the life to come. I
Third Day
desire to emphasize the point that now
is the time for members of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to
render obedience to all of the Master's
laws and ordinances. It is required that
we keep God's commandments now, be-
cause we have taken upon ourselves
the name of Christ. We are members
of his Church, and so we are having
our opportunity to render obedience to
all of his commandments now. We
should perform our own ordinances in
the temple and keep all of the Lord's
commandments while the day lasts,
because for us the night may come
wherein we cannot work. That would
be terrible if we had not proved
faithful.
In the account of the grand council of
heaven we read: "And there stood one
among them that was like unto God,
and he said unto those who were with
him: We will go down, for there is
space there, and we will take of these
materials, and we will make an earth
whereon these may dwell;
"And we will prove them herewith,
to see if they will do all things whatso-
ever the Lord their God shall command
them, . . ." (Abraham 3:24-25.)
Thus, in the very beginning — even in
the spirit world — we were informed that
mortality was to be a state of probation,
a proving ground, to see if we would
keep all of God's commandments. That
same idea was verified in a modern
revelation through the Prophet Joseph
Smith to the Latter-day Saints. Jesus
Christ, our Lord, declared:
"And I now give unto you a command-
ment to beware concerning yourselves,
to give diligent heed to the words of
eternal life.
"For you shall live by every word
that proceedeth forth from the mouth
of God." (D8;C 84:43-44.)
A little later another revelation came
to the Prophet which warned the Saints
as follows:
"For if you will that I give unto you
a place in the celestial world, you must
prepare yourselves by doing the things
which I have commanded you and re-
quired of you." (Ibid., 78:7.)
Jesus Christ is the great Lawgiver and
Judge. He is the one that will give us
our rewards and blessings for righteous-
ELDER MILTON R. HUNTER
113
ness, and, on the other hand, withhold
blessings or give us the punishments for
failing to live righteous lives. He judges
on a very fair basis by eternal law. He
cares not whether one is rich or poor,
bond or free, male or female.
Jesus judges by what is in one's heart:
". . . for out of the abundance of the
heart the mouth speaketh," (Matt.
12:34), and, "For as he thinketh in his
heart, so is he: . . ." (Proverbs 23:7.)
And so the Lord's judgment will be
based upon law. We shall receive ex-
actly what we merit. We read in the
Doctrine and Covenants:
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in
heaven before the foundations of this
world, upon which all blessings are
predicated —
"And when we obtain any blessing
from God, it is by obedience to that law
upon which it is predicated." (D&C
130:20-21.)
As we learned in the Mutual theme a
few years ago, the Lord also said:
"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do
what I say; but when ye do not what I
say, ye have no promise." (Ibid., 82:10.)
I think, my brothers and sisters, that
we should not only avoid committing
sins, but we should also avoid doing
things that appear to be sinful.
When I was a young man, I heard
a good woman say several times, "Don't
do anything wrong. Don't do anything
that even appears to be wrong."
Of course, at that time I thought that
that statement was somewhat foolish;
but as I have become older and have ob-
served human nature, I have come to
know that the example we set causes
many people to do wrong. Our example
may also cause them to do right. And
so now I think that that statement is a
very wise one.
Let me illustrate with a little per-
sonal experience. A few years ago,
accompanied by a welfare man, I was
on the way to Seattle to a stake con-
ference. The train stopped at Portland
for the passengers to eat breakfast. As we
ordered our breakfast, as usual the wait-
ress asked if we would care for coffee.
Of course, as always, we replied, "No,
thank you." But when she brought the
breakfast, she set two cups of coffee be-
side our plates and left quickly.
I said to the welfare man,"I am not
going to leave this coffee beside our
plates while we eat."
He replied, "We could push them
aside a little distance from our plates,
and I think it will be okay."
The waitress returned about then. I
asked her to remove the coffee, stating
that we had not ordered it. No sooner
had she got away from the table with
the two cups of coffee than the door
opened and in walked the stake presi-
dent of the Portland Stake. He spied
us immediately, came over and sat down
by us, and conversed with us all the
time while we ate breakfast.
When we got back on the train, the
welfare man said, "My, that was a nar-
row escape. If we had had that coffee
on the table, we could not have con-
vinced that stake president that we had
not ordered it and that we had not in-
tended to drink it."
Brothers and sisters, all of us who
are members of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints have entered
into a covenant with the Lord to keep
all of his commandments now while
here in mortality. In the words of the
Preacher:
"Let us hear the conclusion of the
whole matter: Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole
duty of man.
"For God shall bring every work
into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be
evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.)
I humbly pray that as members of
the true Church, we will strive hard
"to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with our God." (See Micah
6:8); and after mortal life has closed,
may we find a glorious home prepared
for us in his mansion on high.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Elder Milton R. Hunter of the First
Council of Seventy has just concluded
speaking. Elder Alma Sonne, Assistant
to the Twelve, will now speak to us,
and he will be followed by Elder
Hinckley.
114
Sunday, October 1
GENERAL CONFERENCE
ELDER ALMA SONNE
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
Third Day
President McKay, brethren and sisters,
after having listened to the music dur-
ing these conference sessions, and after
having heard the prayers which have
been so fervently offered, and hearing
also the stirring sermons which have
been delivered, and having felt the
spirit of all meetings in this conference,
I have been led to say in my own heart,
"Surely this is the marvelous work and
wonder spoken of by Isaiah the prophet."
Seven or eight months ago President
Joseph Fielding Smith in speaking to
the General Authorities of the Church
suggested that each one of them read
the Book of Mormon during the year.
Like many others, I began the reading.
I have almost finished it. At the same
time I also read Orson Pratt's treatise
on the book as he wrote it many years
ago. It has been refreshing and stimu-
lating to me and certainly very en-
lightening, even though it has been
read and referred to many times over
the years.
Elder Pratt, in writing his analysis
of this latter-day scripture, makes this
statement: "The book must be either
true or false. If true, it is one of the
most important messages ever sent from
God. If false, it is one of the most
cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid im-
positions ever pawned on the world."
Many people during this year are
reading the Book of Mormon. Many
have read it in the past, and many will
read it in the future. It was given
to the world through Joseph Smith
the Prophet when he was a young man
in his early twenties. The Prophet was
a humble man. He was unlearned in
the arts, the sciences, and literature of
the world. At the same time he laid
no claim whatever to any literary power
or ability. The book was not produced
as a result of prolonged preparation or
any studious effort such as the writing
of a book would entail. It is in perfect
harmony with the Bible teachings. It
contains a similar message and empha-
sizes the same truths. No book was ever
written with a higher and a nobler
purpose. Its aim is to teach the Jew
and the Gentile that Jesus is the Christ,
the Eternal God who manifests himself
to all nations.
It is and always has been a builder of
faith and a converter of souls. Its power
in these respects is marvelous and be-
yond the understanding of the un-
believing and those who "are wise in
their own eyes and prudent in their own
sight." A humble approach to its read-
ing is necessary.
Readers of the book are left with
God's help to determine its value, its
divinity, and its truthfulness. They are
not asked to consult with the scholars
or the recognized men of learning as
to its validity. They are cautioned, how-
ever, to ask God the Eternal Father in
the name of Jesus Christ regarding the
reliability and the trustworthiness of
the message it contains, directed as it
is to the Jews, the Gentiles, and the
remnant of the Nephite race.
Under that procedure they will re-
ceive a testimony as to its sanctity and
authenticity which is stronger and
mightier than all the arguments of
cynics and skeptics. No one has found
anything that nullifies the testimony of
the three witnesses to this sacred volume.
Their testimonies still stand. Not a
single thing has been brought to light,
not a single thing to discredit their
solemn declaration. It was challenged,
as you may know and surmise, and the
integrity of the witnesses was ques-
tioned. Their characters were assailed,
and they were accused of being in col-
lusion with a wicked pretender and a
false prophet.
It has always been so and naturally
was expected, for the world is full of
doubters and cynics. Jesus knew this
when he talked to Nicodemus. "We
speak that we do know," said Jesus,
"and testify that we have seen; and ye
receive not our witness.
"If I have told you earthly things,
and ye believe not, how shall ye believe,
if I tell you of heavenly things?" (John
3:11-12.)
These were the words of the Master,
but these witnesses never wavered in
their testimony. They left the Church
and were unfriendly to the Prophet.
ELDER GORDON B. HINCKLEY
115
They were excommunicated at a time
when the Church needed their support.
There is something dramatic about
Oliver Cowdery's return to the Church.
The day he came back the fortunes of
the Church were at their lowest ebb.
The people were outcast and had been
driven from their homes and possessions.
Fully repentant, Oliver Cowdery was
baptized and entered the Church as a
humble member.
Martin Harris returned and was bap-
tized after a long period on the outside.
His numerous testimonies to his neigh-
bors and friends are a vindication
against the charges that he had denied
his testimony.
David Whitmer, disgruntled and dis-
appointed, did not return. He claimed
the Church had left him; that he had
not left the Church. He evidently lacked
humility which is required of faithful
members of the Church. His last act
was to reconfirm his testimony and to
rebuke those who had accused him of
being unfaithful to the written docu-
ment which he had signed. He executed
an affidavit on his deathbed to silence
those who had questioned his integrity.
But the book itself is the best evidence
of its divinity. If the book is a fraud,
Joseph Smith knew it. There could be
no question in his mind about its being
fraudulent or genuine. He had the
answer. Thousands have read it and
have come away with the same testi-
mony which he and the others gave.
Not a single logical explanation has
been offered to discredit the claim of
the Prophet and his associates. The book
still stands as a divine record, unmarred
by the attacks of critics, most of whom
were insincere and untrustworthy.
If Joseph Smith wilfully and deliber-
ately fabricated that volume and gave
it to the world as scripture, he was
unworthy of the confidence of all good
men. Of all men he would be the most
deceptive and the most dishonest He
would be a stranger to every divine and
holy impulse. By every law of affinity
his mind would be darkened by his
evil designs. God's Spirit would depart
from him. No heavenly inspiration or
enlightenment could emanate from one
so bad, but his scriptural productions,
every one, emphasize moral and spiritual
values. They are warnings against
wrongdoing. They are confirmations of
Bible teachings.
The Book of Mormon especially is a
strong indictment against every sin in
every form. I beg of you, brethren and
sisters, to read the book; and as you go
home following this conference, open
the sacred volume and read it slowly
and prayerfully, chapter by chapter,
until it is finished, and, if you will do
so, God will bless you. He will strength-
en your testimony. He will increase your
faith, and he will bless you in your
devotion to the great cause for which we
all stand.
May you and I be faithful in all
things I pray in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
We have just listened to Elder Alma
Sonne, Assistant to the Twelve. Elder
Gordon B. Hinckley, whom we sustained
yesterday as a member of the Council
of the Twelve, will now speak to us.
ELDER GORDON B. HINCKLEY
Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
My beloved leaders, my dear brethren
and sisters, it would be neither appro-
priate nor desirable for me to speak at
length. I wish merely to share briefly
with you some of the feelings of my
heart.
Sister Romney told me yesterday
afternoon that she knew that I was the
one to be sustained because of the ap-
pearance of my eyes when she talked
with me yesterday morning. I confess
that I have wept and prayed.
I think I feel some sense of the burden
of this responsibility to stand as a wit-
ness of the Lord Jesus Christ before a
world that is reluctant to accept him.
"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus
offers me." I am subdued by the confi-
dence of the Lord's Prophet in me, and
by the expressed love of these, my
116
Sunday, October 1
brethren, beside whom I feel like a
pigmy. I pray for strength; I pray for
help; and I pray for the faith and the
will to be obedient. I think that I
need — and I feel that all of us need —
discipline, if this great work is to roll
forward as it is ordained to do.
I expressed three and a half years
ago when I stood here my appreciation
for the name which I bear [Bryant S.
Hinckley, his father], which has come
from faithful forebears, who gave much
and received little that I might receive
much while giving little.
I was moved this morning as the choir
sang that great anthem, "Crown Him
Lord of All." The unity, the harmony,
and the discipline of this choir always
impress me. Now, my brethren and
sisters, God has written the score which
we are to perform. Our prophet is our
director. With effort and with harmony
we can stir the world and "crown him
Lord of all," if we have the will to
discipline ourselves with that restraint
which comes of true testimony.
I would like to say that this cause is
either true or false. Either this is the
kingdom of God, or it is a sham and a
delusion. Either Joseph talked with the
Father and the Son, or he did not. If
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Third Day
he did not, we are engaged in blas-
phemy. If he did, we have a duty from
which none of us can shrink — to declare
to the world the living reality of the
God of the universe, the Father of us
all; and of his Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Savior of the world, our
Redeemer, the Author of our salvation,
the Prince of Peace.
I give you my testimony that this is
true. It is not false. Our detractors
may debate theology, but they cannot
refute this testimony which has come
by the power of the Holy Ghost into
my heart and into your hearts, and
which I solemnly declare this day as I
express unto you my appreciation for
your sustaining hands and hearts, in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
President David O. McKay:
We have just heard from Elder
Gordon B. Hinckley of the Missionary
Department, member of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles of the Church.
Elder S. Dilworth Young will please
come forward and speak to us. Elder
Young is a member of the First Council
of the Seventy.
ELDER SEYMOUR DILWORTH YOUNG
Of the First Council of the Seventy
Yesterday Elder Marion G. Romney
mentioned the matter of the Holy Spirit
and said that one does not hear it with
his ears. May I read to you a verse of
scripture which verifies that. Nephi was
rebuking his two brothers who were
intent upon killing him as they jour-
neyed toward the Promised Land. He
reminded them that they thought to
murder his father, but also their intent
was to murder him, and therefore in
their hearts they were murderers. Then
he reminded them of the times which
the Lord had tried to impress them in
these words:
"Ye have seen an angel, and he spake
unto you; yea, ye have heard his
voice from time to time; and he hath
spoken unto you in a still small voice;"
— and this is the part I would like to
have you hear — "but ye were past feel-
ing, that ye could not feel his
words; ..." (1 Nephi 17:45.)
I used to wonder why Nephi didn't
say "hear his words." Now I know that
one doesn't hear them with his ears,
as Brother Romney said. But into a
person's mind there come words. These
seem to be his own words, but with the
Spirit upon him, are not his words.
With these words comes a feeling. One
actually feels the words, just as Nephi
said. These brothers had lost that feel-
ing, and therefore could not detect
words given by the Spirit as apart from
their own thoughts.
This "feeling" comes to all who will
hear. One's first experience in this
likely is akin to those of all converts to
the Church when they read what
ELDER FRANKLIN D. RICHARDS
117
Moroni said. He told them that after
they had heard these things, if they
would ask God they would know of
their truth. (Moroni 10:4.) I believe
that James was referring to this funda-
mental truth when he wrote these
words, "If any of you lack wisdom, let
him ask of God, . . ." (James 1:5.) The
Prophet Joseph, reading, was impressed
to go to the woods and pray. Anybody
who cannot learn to hear by feeling
will not go very far in the Church, in
my humble opinion, for I believe that
to be the way the majority of us know
if these things are true.
By that Spirit which whispers in my
soul, and which I feel with my heart
and my feelings at the same time, the
knowledge of which rings constantly in
my whole being, I know that Joseph
Smith received many of his revelations
by that means. By that whispered feel-
ing, too, I know that he was a prophet
of the Living God and that President
McKay is likewise a prophet of the
Living God. I would ask only one
thing, that each of us as we leave this
conference ask ourselves if during any
of these meetings, we felt in our hearts
the whispering, and had the words form
into our minds as the whispering be-
came feeling, and the message came
clearly into our minds that the speaker
has spoken truly. "That is true doc-
trine. He is speaking truth to us," it
tries to say.
To me this conference has been filled
with that type of thing. I am proud
to be a member of the Church. I am
delighted to have the opportunity of
bearing my testimony that I know these
things are true, and I do it in the name
of Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
The Choir and congregation will now
sing, "O Say, What Is Truth?" You
have just listened to Elder S. Dilworth
Young of the First Council of Seventy.
Elder Jay E. Welch, Assistant Choir
Leader, will lead us as we join in sing-
ing, "O Say, What Is Truth?" and we
shall hear from Elder Franklin D.
Richards following that song.
The Choir and congregation joined
in singing the hymn, "O Say, What Is
Truth?"
President David O. McKay:
Elder Franklin D. Richards, Assistant
to the Twelve, will be our next speaker.
He will be followed by Elder Theodore
M. Burton.
ELDER FRANKLIN DEWEY RICHARDS
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
President McKay, President Moyle, Pres-
ident Brown, President Smith, and all
of you wonderful brothers and sisters
and friends, I approach this responsibil-
ity and assignment with a humble
heart, and I pray that our Father in
heaven will bless me with his Spirit that
I might be able to say something that
will be helpful in building the kingdom
of God.
At the last conference, I spoke to you
about the amazing growth and develop-
ment of the Church. At that time I
suggested that each of you accept Presi-
dent McKay's challenge that every
member be a missionary. To do this I
proposed that we ask our friends and
neighbors the two golden questions,
"What do you know about the Mormon
Church?" and "Would you like to know
more?"
It is apparent that many have been
asking these questions. Are you one
of them?
As a supervisor of the eight eastern
American missions, I have spent a large
part of the time since the last conference
in those missions, and I bring to you the
affectionate greetings and love of the
mission presidents, the missionaries, and
the Saints. I am happy to make this
brief report:
First, that convert baptisms are nearly
three times those of a year ago, that
means approximately 1,100 each month,
GENERAL CONFERENCE
118
Sunday, October 1
or as translated into new stakes, roughly
six new stakes each year.
Secondly, chapels and church build-
ings are being built in large numbers.
Just as an example, Sister Richards and
I came back a short time ago from the
Canadian Mission, and in that mission
during the first seven months of this
year, six chapels have been completed
and are occupied, and seven more are
either under construction or in the late
planning stage.
Third, new stakes are being organized.
Two have recently been organized in
North Carolina and within the area
covered by the eight eastern American
missions, it is likely that eight more
stakes will be ready for organization
during the next twelve months.
This pattern of accelerated growth
and development of the Church, as you
can see, is going on throughout the
entire world. Many have asked why
this growth is taking place. Prophecy
is being fulfilled, my brothers and sisters,
and the Lord is pouring out his Spirit
upon all flesh. I can notice the difference
in just the last few months.
In a vision manifested to Joseph Smith
the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery, the
heavens were opened, and Moses ap-
peared and committed unto them the
keys of the gathering of Israel from the
four quarters of the earth. I bear
witness to you that this, the Dispen-
sation of the Fulness of Times, is
indeed the time of gathering.
When the Angel Moroni first visited
the Prophet Joseph, he quoted from the
second chapter of Joel: "And it shall
come to pass afterward, that I will pour
out my spirit upon all flesh." (See
Joseph Smith 2:41; Joel 2:28.) Moroni
told the Prophet that this was not yet
fulfilled but would be soon. I am con-
fident, my brothers and sisters, that this
prophecy is now being fulfilled.
The Lord has told us, "And ye are
called to bring to pass the gathering of
mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice
and harden not their hearts." (D&C
29:7.)
As the Savior instructed: "Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature.
"He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth
Third Day
not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16.)
So we in this dispensation have also
been instructed. These prophecies are
being fulfilled in this great growth of
the Church. Baptism is necessary to
enter the kingdom of God, and to us of
this dispensation the Lord has given the
assignment to baptize his elect. Today
we have the counsel of our President
and Prophet David O. McKay that
"every member should be a missionary,"
in order to bring more souls into the
kingdom of God. We sustained our
President wholeheartedly and seek to
follow his counsel.
So every man, woman, and child
wants to know how they can fulfill their
assignment to be a missionary.
First, each one of us must live the
gospel; then we should invite our non-
member friends to attend our Church
meetings and functions with us; also,
find people who want to know more
about the Church and the best way to
do this is to ask the "golden questions,"
— 'What do you know about the Mor-
mon Church?" and "Would you like
to know more?"
Those that say "Yes," should be
invited into group meetings in the mem-
bers' homes to hear the missionaries
discuss the principles of the gospel.
Where this is not possible, the person
should be referred to the missionaries
to contact.
Asking these two questions is a sifting
process, finding the elect, those that
want to know more about the Church.
In Charlottesville, Virginia, as an ex-
ample, one of our good sisters who
worked at a bakery decided to ask the
five women she was working with the
golden questions, and all of them said
they would like to know more about
the Church. She invited them to a
series of group meetings in her home to
hear the missionaries, and four of the
five women gained a testimony and were
baptized into the Church.
The full-time, stake, and district mis-
sionaries will work with you, with the
special assignment to teach the gospel.
All the missionaries throughout the
Church are using the simple, uniform
plan. This program assists them in
developing greater spirituality, the atti-
tude of success, and a good knowledge
ELDER FRANKLIN D. RICHARDS
119
of the gospel and the teaching plan.
Through this preparation, missionaries
are endowed with great power.
Heretofore a large part of the mission-
ary's time has been spent in finding
people to teach. Now more of the
missionary's time is being spent in
teaching because the members are find-
ing those that are interested and in
many instances bringing them together
into groups to be taught by the mission-
ary. This method is bringing into the
Church many more converts.
Everything is being done to make the
work of the missionaries more efficient
and effective. The use of the telephone
in tracting and to follow up referrals is
a real effective, modern proselyting de-
vice. The use of cars, in many instances,
is also a great time-saver. Home nights
to permit groups to get acquainted with
the Church and for missionaries to make
contacts with nonmembers is likewise
an effective tool.
We are just starting on a comparatively
new approach. This involves an advertis-
ing and direct mail program, a new type
of tracting, so to speak. Our advertise-
ments and letters will provide a coupon
or a card to be returned to us, requesting
missionaries to call or a home-study
course to be sent.
We have adapted the uniform mis-
sionary teaching plan to a home-study
course. Many who study the gospel in
this manner will undoubtedly later want
missionary visits. Through advertise-
ments and through the mail, we will
reach many that we are not able to
reach by our present methods. Baptisms
from this source of referrals are already
being reported.
Many people refer to our present
missionary plan as a "new plan," but
it really is not Examining the prose-
lyting methods of the apostles and the
disciples at the time of Christ and in
the early days of the Church in our time,
we find that the methods used today
are very similar. One of the most
remarkable examples was Peter's sermon
to the people on the day of Pentecost,
the result of which is recorded in the
second chapter of Acts, and the 41st
verse as follows:
"Then they that gladly received his
word were baptized: and the same day
there were added unto them about three
thousand souls." (Acts 2:41.)
The autobiography of Parley P. Pratt
tells us of his meeting John Taylor,
whose name was given to him as a
referral. Parley P. Pratt used group
meetings most effectively. His experience
in New York City is related as follows:
"While I preached, a lady solicited
me to preach in her house in Willett
Street, for she said, 'I had a dream of
you and of the new church the other
night.' Another lady wished me to
preach in her house in Grant Street.
In the meantime I was invited by the
Free Thinkers to preach or give a course
of lectures in Tammany Hall. In short,
it was not three weeks . . . till we had
fifteen preaching places in the city, all
of which were filled to overflowing. We
preached about eleven times a week
besides visiting from house to house.
We soon commenced baptising and
continued baptizing almost every day
during the winter and spring." (P. 170
1950 Ed.)
Our missionary program is based on
declaring repentance and baptism. Our
missionaries know that baptism is es-
sential, and they are baptism conscious.
The Lord has given us a list of qualifi-
cations necessary for baptism, and this is
in the Doctrine and Covenants, section
20. Missionaries are instructed to see
that these qualifications are met. This
is not a day for compromising standards.
After baptism our responsibility is to
fellowship the new converts. There will
be little falling away as we "love" these
good people into the Church and give
them an opportunity to serve.
Brothers and sisters, God the Father
and his Son Jesus Christ did appear to
the Prophet Joseph Smith. The fulness
of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been
restored to this earth. The Church of
Jesus Christ with the authority to act
in his name is on the earth. This is
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. We need a prophet today, and
we have a prophet — President David
O. McKay.
I bear witness to you that these things
are true.
Remember the scriptures. "For behold,
the field is white already to harvest;
120
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Sunday, October 1
and it is the eleventh hour, and the last
time that I shall call laborers into my
vineyard." (D&C 33:3.) And remember
President McKay's admonition, "Every
member a missionary." The challenge
is for each of us to be a missionary.
This means for each of us to bring a
convert into the Church this year. Let
us make this our goal and may the Lord
Third Day
make us equal to the task, I pray in the
name of Jesus Christ Amen.
President David O. McKay:
We have just listened to Elder Frank-
lin D. Richards, Assistant to the Twelve.
Elder Theodore M. Burton, Assistant to
the Twelve, will now address us.
ELDER THEODORE MOYLE BURTON
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
My brothers and sisters, I am most
grateful for this past year. It has been
a marvelous year to have spent in asso-
ciation with these, my brethren. I have
had my eyes opened. I have learned
many things. It has also been a tre-
mendous blessing to me to be able to
travel among the stakes and missions
of the Church and see what wonderful
strength and leadership we have where-
ever I travel.
I have been greatly impressed by the
strength of the Church, for I feel the
strength of the Church is in the hearts
of our people who are willing to serve
and to sacrifice because of the testi-
mony they have in their hearts that
this is the truth.
Now, as a missionary, how can I
teach the things that are in my heart to
you, the people? How can I strengthen
the Saints and teach those who are not
yet members of the Church? How can
I give confidence to them that God does
live and that he does speak in this
generation?
Perhaps I can illustrate this by talk-
ing for a moment about some of the
problems of translation. When I
worked for the United States govern-
ment in the foreign agency service of
the Treasury Department, it was my
duty to translate some of the customs
laws from the German into the English
language. I soon learned that a man
in order to translate has to know much
more than just the words of the lan-
guage. I found that a translator must
give a message, not just a literal transla-
tion of the subject word for word.
I found that sentences mean much
more than words. I found that para-
graphs are much more important than
sentences, and I found that the treatise
as a whole must make sense. Other-
wise, the translation is not good. Words
have many different meanings, and the
meanings of these words depend upon
their usage. The context in which they
are used becomes extremely important.
Let us take as a simple example the
word, corn. It is a simple English word,
but if you were to translate this into
another language, you would have to
understand some of its many meanings.
Corn would mean maize to the Indian.
It would mean grain to the Britisher. It
would mean whiskey to the moonshiner.
It would mean to granulate to the
chemist or to the munitions manu-
facturer. It would mean to preserve
to the housewife. It would mean to
plant to the farmer. It would mean
a horny skin growth to the doctor of
medicine.
So, if you were to translate that word,
you would have to know how it was
used. Thus a translator must under-
stand the meaning of the information he
is to present; otherwise, his translation
is impossible. So, if he is to translate,
he must become an authority in other
fields much more than just an authority
in the language with which he is work-
ing. He must understand something
about the subject being translated.
Let us look now at the problem of
translating the Bible, particularly in
the Old Testament. Not only must the
translator know English, he must also
know Hebrew. He must know what
the Hebrew says, and then he must
put that understanding^ into the Eng-
lish language.
ELDER THEODORE M. BURTON
121
In the Old Testament there are sev-
eral Hebrew words, "ro'eh," "hozeh,"
and "nabhf," all of which are translated
by the translators as prophet. The first
two, almost synonymous, from the roots
"ra'ah" and "hazah," both meaning to
see suggest the man of vision and should
be properly rendered as seer. The term
"nabhi' " from the root "nabha" means
to announce. But if the translator felt
that to see and to announce are synony-
mous and that they refer to the same
thing, then he would so use them. Thus
we find that all of these words were
used and translated as prophet and
sometimes the word seer was used where
prophet should have been used, and
sometimes the word prophet was used
where seer should have been used. Con-
fusion resulted therefrom, because the
translators did not understand that
these two words seer and prophet mean
different things; that they have different
usages.
There is a great difference between
these words, because a seer is greater
than a prophet. King Limhi, in speak-
ing to the missionary, Amnion, said,
"... a seer is greater than a prophet."
Then Ammon explained why. He said,
"... a seer is a revelator and a prophet
also; and a gift which is greater can no
man have, except he should possess the
power of God, which no man can; yet
a man may have great power given him
from God.
"But a seer can know of things which
are past, and also things which are to
come, and by them shall all things be
revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be
made manifest, and hidden things shall
come to light, and things which are not
known shall be made known by them,
and also things shall be made known
by them which otherwise could not be
known." (Mosiah 8:16-17.)
Life for the ordinary man is oftimes
frightening and bewildering. There is
so much that we mortals fear. There
is so much that we do not understand.
There is so much that we do not know.
When we talk of knowing, we talk of
knowledge, and it would be well to ask
ourselves what we mean by "knowl-
edge." Knowledge is only our inter-
pretation of the evidence before us. If
our interpretation of the evidence is
wrong, our knowledge is false.
Sometimes, therefore, we make grave
errors, for our interpretation of the
evidence is wrong. What a shock it is
for us to realize that what we once
thought we knew — is wrong! This has
occurred many times in the history of
the earth. Why, the evidence was so
plain to those who stated that the earth
was flat, that when anyone mentioned
that the earth is round, it was a ridic-
ulous thing, and the people just laughed
at the idea. Yet by the evidence we
have today we interpret this to mean
that the earth is round, and we claim
that previous persons just didn't under-
stand the evidence presented to them.
The same thing is true when we
talked about the sun revolving around
the earth. Why, any man with eyes
to see could actually see the sun re-
volving around the earth! Yet our
interpretation of the evidence today is
just the reverse of this. So, what we say
we know is not always true.
What then can a person cling to?
Youth lacks experience, and older people
jump at conclusions also. Knowledge
is often based on too little evidence,
either by the young or by the old.
Thus, young and old, when they have
found themselves questioning, become
skeptical, and they begin to question
and doubt everything and have confi-
dence in nothing.
Now to what can a man turn? In
what can he place reliance? In whom
can we put our confidence, our trust?
Now remember, Ammon said a seer is
greater than a prophet. Before he made
this statement he had said "... I can
assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man
that can translate the records; for he
has wherewith that he can look, and
translate all records that are of ancient
date; and it is a gift from God. And the
things are called interpreters, and no
man can look in them except he be
commanded, lest he should look for
that he ought not and he should perish.
And whosoever is commanded to look
in them, the same is called seer."
(Ibid., 8:13.)
Thus one can trust a seer because
a seer may see the heavens open. He
may see the great vision of God working
in all his majesty. He may see the
122
Sunday, October 1
fulness of truth as it is revealed to him
by God who makes no mistakes. The
evidence is clear, therefore, and the in-
terpretation is clear. The seer can bear
personal testimony, not based on books,
not based on scholarship, not based on
tradition, but based on the evidence of
things that God himself can reveal to
him in an actual experience with Deity.
He may receive a revelation from God
by actually seeing and hearing and
being instructed in the real truth.
A seer then is one who may see God,
who may talk with God, who may re-
ceive personal instruction from God.
Our prophet is a seer and a revelator. I
do not know who originally taught the
doctrine. I was told once that it was
taught by President Heber J. Grant,
but I was taught this doctrine by Elder
Marion G. Romney, who told me that
the Lord will never let his prophet,
the seer, lead his people astray. Men in
all ranks on this earth and in the
Church have fallen from grace, but the
Lord will never permit the great
prophet, our seer, and revelator, to fall
or to lead the people astray. Before this
could happen God must of necessity
remove that man from the earth.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Third Day
There must be someone to whom the
people can turn and trust, who can
speak for God. God must have someone
on earth who can point the way and
say, "This is true." How grateful, my
brothers and sisters, we should be that
God in the fulness of his grace has given
us a living prophet to guide us to Him;
even more that God has given us a seer,
for this seer and prophet reveals per-
sonal testimony to young and old alike
that Jesus is in very deed the risen
Savior, the Living God.
Of this I bear sacred testimony, for
under conditions too sacred to mention
here God has given me witness three
times in the temples that David O.
McKay is truly and indeed a prophet of
God, a seer, and I bear you this testi-
mony that you can trust him and so
put your whole faith in Jesus Christ.
We must turn from anything which
tears us away from God our Father and
turn to that which will lead us to him
through repentance, through our de-
termination and through our absolute
will to do the work of God.
I bear you this testimony in the name
of Jesus Christ. Amen.
PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY
The singing, as you know, for this
afternoon and this morning has been
furnished by the members of the Taber-
nacle Choir. We have been inspired
with their singing. I think it would be
fitting at this moment to represent you
as well as the General Authorities in
saying just a word, at least, of appre-
ciation of the services rendered by many
during this three- day conference in
making this inspirational gathering so
meaningful:
First, to the General Authorities, we
express deep appreciation for the in-
spirational messages they have given to
us. Second, to the public press, the re-
porters, for their fair and accurate
reports throughout the sessions of the
conference. Third, to the city officials,
the city traffic officers in handling in-
creased traffic, etc.; members of the
fire department, some of whom you
met after one or two of these sessions;
and to the Red Cross representatives
who have been on hand to render any
assistance and service that might be
needed. To the Tabernacle ushers who
have rendered service in seating the
great audiences of these conference ses-
sions. Quietly and unobtrusively they
have looked after your convenience and
welfare.
We have already expressed, and we
do so again, appreciation to the radio
and television stations throughout our
own city and the nation who all
through the three days have carried the
proceedings of these inspirational ses-
sions. These stations have been the
means of permitting untold thousands
of persons to hear the proceedings of
the one hundred thirty-first semiannual
conference.
We appreciate especially those who
have furnished the singing throughout
this conference. Let me remind you
PRESIDENT Di
again, as you enjoy the service they have
rendered: first, the Relief Society Sing-
ing Mothers from the Central Utah and
Mt. Timpanogos regions, who rendered
service faithfully for two days with the
Relief Society sisters before they joined
us Friday morning. Sister Florence
Jepperson Madsen conducted. Next, the
University of Utah Mixed Chorus for
the Saturday morning session, with
Ardean W. Watts conducting. The
University of Utah Institute of Religion,
University Stake Chorus, and the
Bonneville Strings, furnished the music
for the Saturday afternoon session, with
Elder David Austin Shand conducting.
Third, the Tabernacle Choir Men's
Chorus last night. How inspiring that
group was! Fourth, last, but certainly
not least, the Tabernacle Choir, who
furnished the music this morning and
this afternoon, with Elder Richard P.
Condie and Elder Jay E. Welch con-
ducting, and how they have thrilled
not only this nation, but also people in
other countries, wherever they have
been. Our best wishes and prayers go
with them in their prospective tour, for
they will receive a welcome wherever
they go. God bless them, and all
officials connected with that great
organization.
We mention again these beautiful
antheriums from Oahu Stake.
Indeed, we thank all those who have
contributed in any way to the success
and inspiration of this great conference.
Carlyle said: "There is one godlike
virtue, the essence of all that ever was
or ever will be of godlike in this world —
the veneration done to human worth by
the hearts of men." During the last few
days especially, and frequently in the
position which General Authorities oc-
cupy, we have occasion to ask men and
women to accept certain positions and
to devote their time and their means
to the work of the kingdom of God.
Recently I have seen men's hearts
touched, tears roll down their cheeks,
as they were surprised to hear a request
of the General Authorities to accept
some responsibility or be called in some
other position. Without exception, no
matter what sacrifice they had to make
financially, no matter how unable they
feel themselves to fill the position, each
/ID O. McKAY 123
one has said, "Yes, if that is what the
Church wants, I will do it."
Frequently we hear reports from
wards and branches of efforts the peo-
ple put forth to contribute, perhaps to
the erection of a building, perhaps to
renovate, or to build an addition to
a present building. They see that two,
three, four, sometimes six or seven
groups — wards or branches — have to
meet in one building, and they feel the
necessity of contributing of their means.
And what those members of the Church,
unknown beyond the borders of their
branch or ward, do to make more effec-
tive conditions to preach the gospel of
Jesus Christ!
I wish all the world could glimpse
the willingness of those people, the sac-
rifices they have to make. I think it
would preach the gospel more effectively
than any one other thing we could do.
I recall just a few years ago of visiting
a stake and dedicating their meeting-
house. I learned of the struggles they
had in order to finish paying for that
building. None of our chapels are dedi-
cated until they are free from debt. That
means that millions of dollars have been
spent in the erection of stake houses
and ward buildings throughout the 336
stakes and sixty-seven missions.
That meetinghouse had just been paid
for about a week before the dedicatory
services were held. The bishop had to
call for an extra contribution, and a
young boy who earned his money by
washing cars, polishing shoes, and doing
little odd jobs, had quite a little sum
of money, for a boy, in the bank. I
received this information from the
banker himself who was an officer in
the stake. I do not know whether the
father had contributed much to the
chapel. I had my own thoughts, but
when the bishop made an extra call for
money this boy went to the bank and
asked the banker, "How much have I in
the bank?" He told him, and I think it
was something near one hundred dol-
lars. Sister McKay, who knew about the
circumstances, says it was near a hun-
dred. The boy said, "Well, I shall take
ten dollars, and you give the rest to the
bishop to finish paying on this meeting-
house."
124
Sunday, October I
"Oh, but you can't afford that," said
the banker.
"Yes, I can," and he took ten dollars
for himself and gave the balance to
the bishop.
What a lessonl I think I told that
afterwards when I went back to the
stake, and the young boy was then on
a mission. I cite this incident merely
as an illustration of the loyalty and faith
of the membership of the Church. I
appreciate these acts, and because of
them, in our hearts there will be a love
for one another, which is the Spirit of
the Christ, the spirit of brotherhood, the
spirit of love.
I am a great believer in the doctrine
of James. He was a practical man in
the early Church. Paul preached faith;
James preached works, and it was James
who said, ". . . shew me thy faith with-
out thy works, and I will shew thee my
faith by my works." (James 2:18.)
"What doth it profit, my brethren,
though a man say he hath faith, and
have not works? can faith save him?
"If a brother or sister be naked, and
destitute of daily food,
"And one of you say unto them, De-
part in peace, be ye warmed and filled;
notwithstanding ye give them not those
things which are needful to the body;
what doth it profit?
"Even so faith, if it hath not works,
is dead, being alone.
"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast
faith, and I have works: shew me thy
faith without thy works, and I will
shew thee my faith by my works."
(Ibid., 2:14-18.)
Throughout this conference emphasis
has frequently been made by the
speakers to the great responsibility rest-
ing upon the membership of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to
declare to the world that God lives; that
Jesus Christ, his Son, is our Savior; that
his is the only name ". . . under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be
saved." (Acts 4:12.) It was said at the
opening of this conference that there
are men and women who are now forty
to fifty years old who have heard all
their lives that God does not exist; that
Jesus Christ is a myth. You have heard
the testimony from men with tears in
their eyes, if you were close enough to
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Third Day
see, their lips quivering with emotion,
testify that they know that God lives,
that Jesus is the Christ, and that they
appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith
and gave instructions about organizing
his Church, and that Peter, James, and
John, who held the authority from the
Christ himself, gave that authority in
this dispensation; that the Melchizedek
Priesthood was bestowed upon the
Prophet and Oliver Cowdery; that John
the Baptist who baptized Jesus Christ
bestowed the Aaronic Priesthood, a di-
rect successor of the authority from
heaven.
Now you know that. You know these
men. I give you my testimony that God
lives; that he is close to us; that his
spirit is real, that his voice is real; that
Jesus Christ, his Son, stands at the head
of this great work; and no matter how
much the atheistic philosophy takes
hold of blinded boys and girls and men
who hear Satan's voice, the truth stands
as declared by the Father and the Son
to that boy Prophet. You and I and
all the members of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints have the
responsibility to declare that truth to
the world, and the world is full of
honest men and women waiting to hear
that truth. Let us not condemn them.
Condemn the evil men who would blind
them with their sophistry and with false
reasoning. Some of our young boys are
so blinded, but it is our duty as officers
of the Church to lead them from that
blindness to the truth. I think I can
repeat here, as I did last night, for
those misguided boys:
"Dim as the borrow'd beams of moon
and stars
To lonely, weary, wandering travelers,
Is reason to the soul; and as on high
Those rolling fires discover but the sky,
Not light us here, so Reason's glimmer-
ing ray
Was lent, not to assure our doubtful
way,
But lead us upward to a better day."
— Dryden
That brighter day is the light of the
Holy Spirit emanating from God the
Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ.
God bless you, my dear fellow work-
ers, bless you in your homes. Make your
faith shown by your works in your
PRESIDENT D
home; husbands true to your wives, not
only in act, but in thought; wives true
to your husbands, not only in act, but
in thought; children true to your par-
ents. Do not arrogate to yourselves that
they are old-fashioned in their beliefs
and that you know more.
Girls, follow that sweet mother and
her teachings. Boys, be true to your
fathers who try to live the gospel; then
strangers, seeing such homes, will say,
"Well, if that is the result of Mormon-
ism, I think it is good." You will show
your faith by your works in everyday
life.
God bless you that we may have
power so to do, I pray in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
President David O. McKay:
Tonight the Deseret Sunday School
Union will convene in this building at
7:00. All Sunday School workers will
wish to be in attendance. The public
is cordially invited.
The Tabernacle Choir will now sing,
"Still, Still With Thee." The benedic-
tion will be offered by President Wil-
liam B. Wallis of the Ashley Stake, and
this Conference will be adjourned for
six months.
The Tabernacle Choir sang as a clos-
ing number, "Still, Still With Thee."
William Budge Wallis, president of
the Ashley Stake, offered the bene-
diction.
Conference adjourned for six months.
O. McKAY 125
The Relief Society Singing Mothers
from the Central Utah and Mt.
Timpanogos Welfare Regions furnished
the musical numbers for the Friday
morning and afternoon sessions. Flor-
ence Jepperson Madsen was Conductor.
The Musical selections for the Satur-
day morning session were furnished by
the University of Utah Mixed Chorus,
Ardean W. Watts, Director.
On Saturday afternoon the music for
the session was furnished by the Uni-
versity of Utah Institute of Religion,
University Stake Chorus, and the Bonne-
ville Strings, David Austin Shand,
Director.
The music for the General Priesthood
Meeting Saturday evening was fur-
nished by the Men's Chorus of the
Tabernacle Choir, Richard P. Condie,
conductor.
The Tabernacle Choir, Richard P.
Condie, conductor, and Jay E. Welch,
assistant conductor, furnished the choral
numbers for the Sunday morning and
afternoon sessions.
Richard P. Condie directed the sing-
ing of the Tabernacle Choir on the
Tabernacle Choir and Organ broadcast
Sunday morning.
Accompaniments and interludes on
the organ were played by Alexander
Schreiner and Frank W. Asper. Alex-
ander Schreiner officiated at the organ
at the Tabernacle Choir and Organ
broadcoast.
Joseph Anderson
Clerk of the Conference
126
Sunday, October 1
GENERAL CONFERENCE
SALT LAKE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR
AND ORGAN BROADCAST
Third Day
The following broadcast, written and
announced by Richard L. Evans, and
originating with Station KSL, Salt Lake
City, Utah was presented from 8:35 to
9:00 a.m., Sunday, October 1, 1961,
through the courtesy of Columbia
Broadcasting System's network, through-
out the United States, parts of Canada,
and through other facilities to several
points overseas. The broadcast was as
follows:
(The organ played "As The Dew
From Heaven Distilling," and on signal
the Choir and organ broke into the
hymn, "Gently Raise The Sacred
Strain," singing the words to the end of
the second line, and humming to end
of verse for announcer's background.)
Announcer: Once more we welcome
you within these walls with music and
the spoken word from the Crossroads
of the West.
The CBS Radio Network and its
affiliated stations bring you at this hour
another presentation from Temple
Square in Salt Lake City, with Richard
P. Condie conducting the Tabernacle
Choir, Alexander Schreiner, Tabernacle
Organist, and the spoken word by
Richard Evans.
With the words and music of Don
Gillis, the Choir first sings a "Hymn and
Prayer for Peace." "Dear God in
Heaven hear our prayer . . . Let our
hearts have hate no more. Grant Lord
that fear and war shall ever cease. We
pray, gracious Father, Let there be
peace."
(The Choir sang: "Hymn And Prayer
For Peace."— Gillis.)
Announcer: Alexander Schreiner turns
today on Temple Square to a theme
from the moving music of Alexandre
Guilmant: "Allegro, From the Fourth
Sonata."
(Organ Selection: "Allegro From
Fourth Sonata." — Guilmant.)
Announcer: From the Cantata,
"Daughter of Zion," the Tabernacle
Choir turns to Cyril Jenkins' setting for
a text from Alma 29, and Moroni,
Chapter 10: "O that I were an angel,
and could have the wish of mine heart,
that I might go forth and speak with
the trump of God, with a voice to shake
the earth, and cry repentance unto
every people. Yea I would declare unto
every soul . . . the plan of redemption,
that there might not be more sorrow
upon all the face of the earth."
(The Choir sang: "Awake and Arise."
— Jenkins.)
Announcer: How to live with un-
certainty is an ever-present problem —
uncertainties which suddenly shift plans
and prospects. Young men, for example,
are sometimes suddenly taken away
from pursuing life's preparation, and
older men are taken from families and
professions, with much adjusting of
their lives to altered plans and purposes.
And this we would say to all who face
such circumstances: Go ahead with
your lives, your plans, your preparation,
as fully as you can. Don't waste time
by stopping before the interruptions
have started. Keep going forward and
keep your hearts comforted with cour-
age and faith in the future. The world
will always need — indeed, will need
much more — the best-prepared people,
and you cannot afford to slow down the
pace of preparation that is necessary for
fullest effectiveness, aside from what is
absolutely essential. The wise keep
learning, keep moving, keep preparing,
and don't let uncertainties dissuade
them from moving forward. And even
when interruptions come, whenever
they come, make the most of every time
and opportunity. Wherever you are,
you take your thoughts with you, you
take yourself with you. Wherever you
are, you can read, you can think, you
can study, you can learn. You can use
the in-between times for profitable and
constructive purposes. Cynicism is easy
to acquire in idleness — cynicism and
carelessness and questionable conduct —
and evil always offers itself. So,
wherever you go, keep intent on solid
plans and purposes. Don't succumb to
uncertainty, and don't feel sorry for
yourselves. No generation was ever sure
it wouldn't be delayed or diverted in its
plans or progress. Few men's lives have
CHOIR AND OR
been lived without difficulties or disap-
pointments. Have faith, and justify the
faith of others in you, of loved ones
and of others also, remembering, wher-
ever you are, to be a gentleman, a man
of honor. You take yourself with you,
and will want to be worthy to bring
yourself back, to be comfortable in good
and beloved company. Keep faith with
the Lord God who gave you life. Keep
close to Him in humble prayerfulness,
in cleanliness of conduct, and your
hearts will find peace under all assign-
ments and circumstances. Build for the
future. Go forward in faith. Don't let
any period become a blank in your
program of progress. "Lift up your
hearts. Be not afraid." Know that He
is — that He is mindful of you, that He
will not leave you alone.
(The Choir sang: "Awake, Ye Saints
of God."— Stephens.)
(Organ Selection: "Dearest Jesus, We
Are Here."— Ahle.)
Announcer: With the moving music
of Henry Holden Huss, we hear the
stirring words of Alfred Tennyson in
AN BROADCAST 127
a song of man's immortality, and of his
meeting with his Lord and Master:
"For tho' from out our bourne of time
and place, the flood may bear me far!
I hope to see my Pilot face to face when
I have crossed the bar."
(The Choir sang: "Crossing the Bar."
— Huss.)
Announcer: Again we leave you with-
in the shadows of the everlasting hills.
May peace be with you this day — and
always.
This concludes the sixteen hundred
seventy-sixth presentation, and continues
the 33rd year of this traditional broad-
cast from the Mormon Tabernacle on
Temple Square, brought to you by CBS
Radio and its affiliated stations, originat-
ing with Radio Station KSL in Salt Lake
City.
Richard P. Condie conducted the
Tabernacle Choir. Alexander Schreiner
was at the organ. The spoken word by
Richard Evans.
In another seven days, at this same
hour, music and the spoken word will
be heard again from the Crossroads of
the West.
Index
Page
Anderson, Elder Joseph 36
Authorities and Officers Present 1
Authorities and Officers Sustained 40
Benson, Elder Ezra Taft 69
Brown, President Hugh B 93
Brown, President Hugh B 84
(General Priesthood Meeting)
Buehner, Bishop Carl W 98
Burton, Elder Theodore Moyle 120
Changes in Church Organizations 36
Choir and Organ Broadcast 126
Christiansen, Elder EIRay L 9
Critchlow, Elder William J., Jr 54
Dyer, Elder Alvin R 50
Evans, Elder Richard L 82
(General Priesthood Meeting)
Evans, Elder Richard L 126
(Choir and Organ Broadcast)
First Day — Morning Meeting 3
First Day — Afternoon Meeting 17
General Authorities and Officers Present 1
General Authorities, Officers and Auxiliary Officers Sustained 40
General Priesthood Meeting „ 76
Hanks, Elder Marion D 11
Hinckley, Elder Gordon B 115
Hunter, Elder Howard W 107
Hunter, Elder Milton R Ill
Isaacson, Elder Thorpe B 62
Ivins, Elder Antoine R _ 28
Kimball, Elder Spencer W 29
Lee, Elder Harold B 77
(General Priesthood Meeting)
Longden, Elder John 24
McKay, President David 5
(Opening Address)
McKay, President David 89
(General Priesthood Meeting)
McKay, President David 122
(Closing Address)
McKay, President David 3, 5, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, 20, 24,
26, 27, 29, 34, 35, 36, 39, 43, 47, 50, 53, 54, 57, 61,
64, 68, 75, 76, 82, 84, 87, 89, 91, 92, 97, 100, 103,
107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 116, 117, 120, 122, 125.
Moyle, President Henry D ~ 43
Moyle, President Henry D 40
(Presentation of General Authorities and Officers)
130
INDEX
Page
Moyle, President Henry D 87
(General Priesthood Meeting)
Obituaries _ 39
Petersen, Elder Mark E 47
Presentation of General Authorities and Officers 40
Priesthood Meeting, General 76
Richards, Elder Franklin D 117
Richards, Elder LeGrand 64
Romney, Elder Marion G 57
Second Day — Morning Meeting 35
Second Day — Afternoon Meeting 54
Sill, Elder Sterling W 68
Smith, Elder Eldred G _ 26
Smith, President Joseph Fielding 18
Sonne, Elder Alma 114
Stapley, Elder Delbert L 20
Sustaining of General Authorities, Officers and Auxiliary Officers 40
Tabernacle Choir and Organ Broadcast 126
Tanner, Elder Nathan Eldon 103
Taylor, Elder Henry D 101
Third Day — Morning Meeting 92
Third Day — Afternoon Meeting 110
Wirthlin, Bishop Joseph L 14
Young, Elder Seymour Dilworth 116
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